Much Needed Closure
by Renniseht Entreri
Summary: After a year,Tidus has been allowed to return to Spira....but what he finds out upon arriving at Besaid Village makes him faint dead away....
1. Prologue

Much Needed Closure  
Prologue  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
  
Disclaimer: Squaresoft is the owner of everything under the name 'Final Fantasy' so I therefore have absolutely NO claim on these characters or   
any ideas from Final Fantasy X. There....  
*****************************************************************************  
  
~*~ Yuna's Dream... ~*~  
  
'My official christening as a Summoner...'  
  
'It was a day I'll never forget...'  
  
Came the whispered version of her own voice in Yuna's mind. Swift visions of herself praying un relentlessly deep within the Besaid   
temple...then finally emerging as a Summoner.  
  
There were her guardians....Kimarhi, who was presently holding her to make sure she didn't tumble down the stone steps out of sheer   
exhaustion. As her eyes opened and her mind was freed from the tired clouds that held it, she recognized Lulu, standing at the bottom   
of the stairs, looking at her with a proud expression glimmering in her eyes. Beside her was Wakka.....wait...two Wakka's?  
  
No...the other being was very different....He was nothing like the real Wakka, plus he was about an inch shorter than the red haired guardian anyway.  
  
He had hair of a flaxen blonde, champagne if you will, cut unevenly and jagged, yet somehow looking like a sophisticated cut nonetheless.   
Several strands of the semi-platinum locks hung boyishly over eyes that would bring any female in her right mind to her knees. They were   
what is referred to as the 'Perfect Shade of Blue.' They were bright, yet not as bright as they'd look almost white in shade, but no so dark as   
to mistake them for black. They were cerulean, to put a name on the color, and sparkled with a sort of mischief that was very attractive. They   
also seemed to perfectly set off his hair and his naturally tanned complexion, the bronzed skin drawing attention to the muscles concealed underneath.   
  
He seemed to look concerned for her, and had started to run forward to catch her when she'd stumbled, but Kimarhi had gotten there first.   
Now a look of confusion spread across his face as she spoke.  
  
"I've...finally done it....I've become...a Summoner...."  
  
~*~ End Dream... ~*~  
  
Yuna sat straight up in her bed, gasping slightly as she placed a hand on her forehead, trying to hold onto the images of the handsome   
blonde man in her dreams. On any other given night, she'd be doing this because her dreams were all the young Summoner had left of him,   
but tonight.....  
  
*********************  
*In The Farplane...*  
*Tidus' POV*  
  
I saw her in this state all the time, waking up suddenly from her dreams of me, gasping for air some nights from the horror   
of the images she saw, which were sometimes of me dying again, or getting hurt in some way, as I'd later find out as she talked   
to herself in her room. Other nights she'd wake up and sit on her own, a warm smile gracing her flawless features. The dream was a   
good one, I'd conclude with a relieved sigh, grateful she hadn't been upset by images of me.  
  
But whether the dreams were good or bad, she always fell back asleep the same way...crying. The bad dreams would probably remind   
her of how cruelly I was taken from her, and the good dreams would be a kind of taunting image of what we could never share together.  
  
As I saw her viridian and sapphire eyes cloud with emotion, I decided that tonight I couldn't watch her cry again....I just couldn't take it   
anymore. So, I waved the parted lavender mists back into place, closing my 'window to her world' as I stood slowly.   
  
Even though I wasn't watching her, I could still see the tears as they streaked down her pale face. I'd seen it so many times the image was   
permanently etched into my brain, never to leave me and to plague me at every chance it got. Now was one of those times.  
  
It was then that I felt a familiar presence behind me, and I turned into the stoic face of Auron.   
"Watching her every night isn't going to sate your need for her." He stated simply.  
  
'Man,' I thought, 'This guy just loves stating the obvious, doesn't he?'  
  
When I didn't answer, he raised his unscarred eyebrow, as if asking for an answer.  
  
I sighed. "I know but.....It's just that......I never...." I choked, feeling a familiar stinging sensation at the back of my eyes.  
  
"Got to tell her?" Auron finished, his voice low in recognition of my feelings.  
  
I could only nod, squeezing my eyelids shut, allowing one tear to escape my left eye. It only got halfway down my cheek before I   
swiped it away angrily. I hated myself for being a dream, for letting her down like I did. I wanted so badly to be a reality, even if I was   
a fiend that she had to kill, at least I'd see her in the flesh again. Maybe even touch her....  
  
Auron cleared his throat, bringing me out of my little reverie with a jerk. I opened my eyes, which were blurry from my unshed tears. I   
sniffed quietly, shutting my eyes again so I could rid them of the bothersome salty liquid that filled them.  
  
Placing a hand on my shoulder, Auron gave it a reassuring squeeze before he spoke quietly.  
  
"You'll get your chance, Tidus. You'll see her again."  
  
I was going to ask him if he could guarantee me this, but I knew deep down that no one ever could.  
  
Suddenly, my eyes snapped open as the mists under my feet parted, revealing a shallow stretch of clear water I recognized as the   
Besaidian Coastline. I had only seconds to put this together, however, as I was swiftly pulled into the hole, the image turning into actual   
salty air as I fell. I looked up at the swiftly closing hole just in time to see Auron leaning over it with a shocked expression...  
  
And the next thing I knew, I was floating in the oh-so-familiar waters of the Besaid Coast, staring straight up at millions of winking stars.  
  
Never needing sleep in the Farplane, the sudden heaviness of my eyelids dawned on me almost immediately. I knew I was only a five minute   
journey from my friends...and Yuna...but my body just wouldn't comply. I felt sand underneath me, and I finally gave into sleep, confidant that   
I wouldn't drown in my slumber. My last conscious thought was of her as I let sleep's dark silken folds envelope my body...  
  
***********************  
*~ In the Village... ~*  
  
......Tonight Yuna was simply trying to figure out who the gorgeous stranger was!  
  
Sure, something about him was slightly familiar, but even that feeling began to fade the more Yuna thought about it.  
  
Yuna sighed and chuckled lightly, laying back down onto the bed, nestling her head comfortably into the pillows.  
  
'A guy that perfect could only be a dream anyways.....'  
  
Was her last coherent thought as sleep claimed her again.  
  
**** The Next Morning... ****   
**Tidus' POV **  
  
I choked as salty water ran down my throat, and I sat up, sputtering and hacking as I tried desperately to rid myself of the awful taste.   
Once this task was done, I stood up in the ankle deep water, brushing the dried sand out of my hair with a vigorous shake.  
  
It was then that I realized just how close to Yuna I was. It had been almost a year, and I was finally here! I couldn't care less how I'd gotten   
here, just as long as I wasn't dreaming...or rather as long as I wasn't the dream...  
  
I gathered my strength, willing my legs to move. They did, and soon I was dashing up the familiar path towards Besaid Village...towards my friends....  
towards Yuna....  
Just as I was nearing the entrance, I saw Wakka straight ahead, walking straight towards me, but with his eyes downcast, as if in thought.   
A grin spread across my face, and I tore towards my friend, plowing into him and embracing him tightly.  
  
"Wakka! I'm back man!!!" I yelled exuberantly, pulling away from the flame-haired Besaidian.  
  
"Uh....that's great, man...but uh...who are you, eh?"  
  
I took a step back, my arms still in the air from my embrace as I hadn't gotten the full impact of what he'd said yet.  
  
I did right then however, as he reached his hand around to the back of his head, scratching it as he chuckled uneasily. The confused   
expression in his eyes was all I needed. You could always read what Wakka was feeling by his eyes alone, and they were my final clue to his real feelings.  
  
It was all I could do to stop from screaming out loud as my arms dropped loosely to my sides and my eyes widened with hurt and confusion.  
  
'What....what's going on?' Was my last thought as my widened eyes rolled back into my head and I fainted dead away....  
  
  
*********************************  
Well what did ya think?  
  
I apologize if Yuna's quote in her dream was incorrect, but I tried!!!  
  
Please R + R, and be nice if you must flame, cuz this is my first FFX fic!  
  
Ja ne,  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


	2. Introductions and Invitations

Much Needed Closure  
Chapter One - Introductions and Invitations  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own FF X. There, simple isn't it?  
***************************************************  
  
Wakka leaned forward just in time, catching the obviously disoriented young man before he could hit the ground. Heaving him into his arms, he  
walked back through the village entrance, bringing him up to the Temple right away.  
  
Lulu, Yuna and Rikku were praying there, and when Wakka kicked the doors open with his feet, it caused them all to look.  
  
"Tidus!!" Lulu shouted, rushing over to the blonde man, as Wakka looked at her with a wierd look.  
  
"You...know this guy,ya?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow to her.  
  
"Of course I do!! Don't......you?"She asked, the possibilty sinking in. Wakka shook his head vigorously as Yuna and Rikku walked up.  
  
"He's the guy from my dreams!" Yuna exclaimed, hoping to find out his identity when he woke.  
  
"Wakka, bring him to my tent and I'll tend to him. You'll be the first to know when he wakes up."  
  
Wakka nodded, walking back out of the Temple with Lulu in tow.  
  
"Wow! That guy was cute!"Rikku squealed. Yuna smiled and nodded, and the familiar sense that she knew that man had returned. She most  
definatly needed to talk to him when he woke up, becuase maybe he had the answers she needed.  
  
********  
  
Tidus cracked open one eye, looking at his surroundings slowly as his one eye adjusted to the light. He noticed a dark-haired form moving around  
the room, but was afraid to call out to her fearing that she didn't remember him either.  
  
Noticing that he was awake, Lulu walked over to him and helped him sit up.  
  
"Are you alright, Tidus?"  
  
"You know who I am!"  
  
"Yes...but I'm the only one."  
  
"The only...one?"He asked, not believing that his Yuna...his beloved Yuna...had no memory of him.  
  
"Yes. But I think I know why." Lulu replied, getting a steaming bowl of soup, allowing him to eat while she talked.  
  
"I think that one last remaining cell of Sin was missed when we destroyed it. Wanting anything but happiness for anyone, it erased everyone's memory of  
you and brought you back. It skipped me, but I don't know why."  
  
"Maybe it's because you cast Black Magic, and it sensed that and thought you might be evil or something."Tidus offered, finishing the bowl and putting it down.  
  
"That's....the only possibility that could work."Lulu sighed.  
  
"So.....what do we do? You're the only one who remembers me, so....?"  
  
"All we can do....is introduce you again and hope they regain their memories. Since it was only one, self-destructing, cell it's magic effects shouldn't last that long."  
  
"The only question is....can I last long enough for it to wear off?"Tidus whispered, knowing full-well that he'd never disappear again, but worried  
that he wouldn't be able to survive the emotional torture of Yuna looking to him as a stranger...  
  
****************  
  
"Everyone, this is Tidus."Lulu said, feeling wierd having to introduce him to all of his old friends. Especially Yuna....  
  
A chorus of hellos and smiles came from the small group, and Tidus couldn't help but smile back.  
  
"Where you from, ya?" Wakka asked, indicating for Tidus to sit between him and Yuna. He did so, going along with the cover story he and Lulu had thought up.  
  
"Believe it or not, when Kilika was blown away by Sin a year ago, several families survived, and we were all living on an island we found. Then, by some freak  
accident, the mountain the island was on erupted. I.....was the only one who got away........"Tidus had no problem looking depressed; all he had to  
think about was how his friends didn't remember him.  
  
"I'm sorry."Yuna said quietly, placing her hand on his shoulder,"I.....could do a Sending if....you'd like...?"  
  
Lulu and Wakka almost keeled over. Yuna offering to do a Sending for a stranger?!? Well, a temporary stranger anyways....  
  
"No.It's alright, but thank you."Tidus replied, looking to her with a smile that she just had to return.   
  
'His grin is so familiar....'Yuna thought, looking into his eyes for a minute, trying again to place his identity in her mind. After a few seconds, she simply  
turned back to the fire, unable to figure out his identity yet again.  
  
"So anyway....how did ya know my name eh?"Wakka questioned.  
  
"I.....don't know. I just......did, I guess...."Tidus replied, lowering his head and staring at the fire.  
  
"Well Tidus,"Rikku piped up cheerfully,"You can stay here in Besaid as long as you like!"  
  
"Yeah...thank you."He was going to say thank you 'Rikku' but then he remembered he wasn't supposed to know her name.  
  
"Tidus?"Yuna asked quietly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Can I....talk to you for a minute?"Tidus nodded, following her into her home.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"This might sound really wacked but....I've been having dreams of you lately. I know that's wierd, because I just met you, but it's true."  
  
"Well....you were a Summoner right?"At her nod, he continued,"Maybe you just have some kind of psychic ability or something."  
  
Yuna giggled at the thought.  
  
"What? It's possible!"Tidus defended himself with a smile, enjoying the simple fact that he was talking to Yuna again.  
  
"Perhaps...."She said, taking a step towards him,"You are so familiar!!!"  
  
"I...am?"Tidus asked, hiding the hope in his tone.  
  
"But...I can't place you.Whenever I think I'm getting close, it's like this black cloud goes over my mind and all my clues.....I just forget them..."Yuna  
replied, looking to the floor in thought.  
  
"Maybe...you should go to sleep.You might get another clue in your dreams or something."Tidus offered, concerned for her as always.Yuna smiled warmly.  
  
"Good idea.Goodnight Tidus."She said quietly as he left, going to bid goodnight to the people by the fireside.Lulu followed him, telling him that Wakka had  
offered to let him stay in his home.  
  
"Just like old times,huh?"Tidus asked quietly, stepping into Wakka's tent as Lulu went back to her own.  
  
*****************  
  
The next morning, Tidus walked outside Wakka's house, stretching in the sunlight like a cat.  
  
His eyes suddenly snapped open and he jumped, lashing his feet out in the sir in a viscious kick. It was then he felt the blitzball connect with his foot and   
he watched shocked as it sailed into a net.  
  
"WHOA!!!!!!!!"Wakka yelled, running up to him,"How did you do that?!?!?!?!"  
  
"Reflex."Tidus answered simply, walking back into the house to wash up. Wakka followed him eagerly.  
  
"You weren't paying any attention to our game, and I didn't even have time to warn ya!!"  
  
"I....really like Blitzball and I practised all the time whe we were on the island."Tidus replied, drying his soaked face with a towel.  
  
"We are one man short for the Tournament..."Wakka muttered to himself,"Do ya wanna play wit us?"He asked, watching as Tidus' face lit up.  
  
'JUST like old times...'He thought before replying,"Most definatly!!!!"  
  
Tidus went out and was introduced to the team quickly before they divided again and began a game.About halfway through, Tidus unconsciously  
executed the 'Jecht Shot' sending the ball straight towards the helpless goalie and into the net.  
  
Yuna, Rikku, Lulu and the rest of the village,who had gathered to watch, gave Tidus' shot a standing ovation, cheering loudly,and for once thinking that  
they stood a chance against the Goers in the Tournament.  
  
Tidus just blushed and waved, as he'd done so many time in his Zanarkand, which he had no idea was rebuilt....  
  
****************************************************************  
Well, there's chapter One!  
  
Sorry for the shortness, but the next chap will be about when they travel to Neo Zanarkand and Lulu has to bring them in the back way so  
they don't see the statues!! -_^  
  
Stay tuned!!  
  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


	3. The Blitzball Tournament

Much Needed Closure  
Chapter Two - The Blitzball Tournament  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
  
Disclaimer: I have no claim on Final Fantasy X. That should about cover it...  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
The small game between the Aurochs was finished, and the entire village was seated around the fire area, relaxing   
with their friends and family before turning in for the night. Tidus smiled unconsciously at the simplicity of   
everything in this village.  
  
"You played a great game today!"Rikku said cheerily, taking a seat beside Wakka, making her comment for both of them.  
  
"Thanks..."Tidus replied quietly, lowering his gaze with a light smile.  
  
'What is it with that smile!?!?!?!' Yuna yelled inside her head as she approached the fireside, taking a seat next to Tidus.  
  
"Oh hiya Yuna!"He said, noticibly perking up at the sight of her.  
  
"Hello. Rikku was right, you guys played wonderfully today. Maybe we'll beat the Goers this year!"She offered hopefully,   
getting other hopeful smiles and nods from the villagers.  
  
"Um...where is the Tournament being held?"Tidus asked Yuna quietly, as Wakka and Rikku turned to talk to others.  
  
"In Zanarkand."She replied simply.  
  
Tidus fell backwards,nicking his head on a rock behind him as he fell. He whimpered as he touched a   
finger to the bleeding gash near his hairline.Yuna gasped lightly, going over to him and quickly looking at   
the gash before darting into her house for a wet cloth and gauze. When she returned, she placed his head in   
her lap carefully, dabbing at the gash lightly with the cloth to clean it up.  
  
"Why did you have such a reaction?"  
  
"The last time I checked, Zanarkand was nothing but ruins."He replied, wincing slightly as she continued to dab   
at the sensitive broken skin.  
  
"I had it rebuilt about 10 months ago. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time."She said, placing the   
cloth down and picking up the small patch of gauze beside her.  
  
Tidus simply nodded, closing his eyes and reveling in the feeling of being held by her, even if it was only in   
the simplest way possible. He smiled as he remembered the first time his head had been in her lap. They'd all   
been heading to Kilika, and when they'd gotten rid of the Sin that'd attacked them, he was thrown off the ship.   
Wakka went underwater to get him, bringing him back to the surface in an unconscious state. Yuna had held him   
until he woke. He remembered how her fingers had been playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, making him   
want to shiver because it sort of tickled him.  
  
It was then that he realized she was doing that very same thing again, yet this sime it seemed to be sub-conscious.  
She'd finished putting the small gauze bandage over his wound and was waiting for him to try and sit up.  
  
Placing his hands firmly on the ground, he hauled himself up into a sitting position, feeling Yuna's delicate   
hands on his back, supporting him as he wavered and blinked a couple times.  
  
"What happened to you?"Wakka asked, finally noticing the white patch on Tidus' forehead.  
  
"I fell backwards and hit my head on a rock."Tidus replied, rubbing his head lightly as he stood,  
"I'm gonna turn in..."He finished with a cat-like yawn and stretch.  
  
"Okay then. G'night man."Wakka said with a smile.  
  
"Thank you Yuna."Tidus said, touching her shoulder lightly as he turned, heading for Wakka's home.  
  
Feeling electricity crackle from the point of contact to the tips of her fingers made Yuna shiver involuntarily.  
  
"What's wrong? You cold?"  
  
"No Wakka, I'm fine..."She replied with a warm smile, bidding goodnight to Rikku and the others before turning in herself.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning, Yuna sat straight up in her bed once again, a fine film of sweat visible on her brow. The images   
of her dream fled quickly, and the only thing she could remember was that Tidus had been the focus of them. Deciding   
not to mention it, she pulled on her clothes slowly, still feeling tired, and went outside.  
  
She colided with Lulu as she did so.  
  
"Good morning."Lulu said with a smirk, helping to steady her,"At least your not the LAST ONE TO WAKE UP!!!!"  
She yelled towards Wakka's tent.  
  
A minute later, Tidus emerged, looking quite disheveled indeed.  
  
"I'M UP!!!"He yelled back, blushing lightly as he noticed they'd caught the attention of half the village.  
  
"Help him pack because we're leaving in ten minutes, okay?"Lulu said, smiling and walking out of the  
village towards the coast. She knew full-well that Tidus didn't have anything with him.....  
  
Yuna sighed,walking over to the half-asleep Tidus as he yawned loudly.  
  
"Come on,"She said, pulling him into the tent.She stopped suddenly, smacking her head with her hand.  
  
"We are so stupid...You don't have anything with you do you?"  
  
Tidus nodded slowly, not being able to control his laughter as Yuna continued to smack herself in the head.   
He stepped over, taking her hand in his.  
  
"Your going to...."He paused as he noticed the small amount of space there was between them.  
  
'I wish I could kiss her again...'He thought sadly.  
  
'Why do I want to kiss him so badly?'Yuna thought, leaning slightly closer to him. He started to follow suit,   
but then turned away and dropped her hand.  
  
"You're going to get brain damage if you keep doing that..."He said quietly, parting the flaps of cloth that served as   
doors and walking out.  
  
"What just happened....?"Yuna muttered to herself, shaking her head before following him down to the ship.  
  
  
  
They set sail and waved back when the villagers waved them off. Once the island was no longer visible,   
everyone set to their duties.  
  
Not having aything she needed to do, Yuna walked aimlessly around the ship, looking for Rikku or Lulu to talk to.   
Lulu was no where to be found, but she spotted Rikku looking out onto the ocean with a serene look.  
  
"What'cha thinking about?"Yuna asked, coming up beside her soundlessly.  
  
Rikku jumped, but smiled at turned to her.  
  
"Nothing. That's the beauty of it!"She replied enthusiastically,leaning over the edge.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Lulu had tracked down Tidus and they were currently situated in her quarters.  
  
"Well? You said you had had 'a close call'? What do you mean?"Lulu asked, leaning against the wall.  
  
"I...well....I just about kissed Yuna..."Tidus said quietly, lowering his head and staring at the floor.  
  
Lulu's eyes widened, but she didn't yell.  
  
"You said 'almost' right? That means you didn't....right?"  
  
"Yes...but...god knows I wanted to......."  
  
"I know, but....."Not having any pearls of wisdom for the troubled young man, she decided to change the topic,  
"When we get to Zanarkand, we'll be going in the South entrance."  
  
"But....the main entrance is to the North."  
  
"I know, but that's also where statues of you and Auron have been erected."  
  
"Monuments? Of me and Auron?Cool....but why-"  
  
"If Yuna sees that she had a statue of you built, what will that do to her burned out memory? Heck she'd   
probably get brain damage or something...."  
  
Tidus laughed out loud, not being able to stop for a couple minutes. When his throaty laughter finally subsided,   
Lulu raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"You...wouldn't get it..."He said, quieting his voice and walking out of the room with a smile, leaving a   
puzzled mage behind him.  
  
  
  
"Oh hey Tidus!!"Rikku exclaimed from her vantage point, standing on the railing of the ship. Beside her stood Yuna,   
and when Tidus noticed this, he carefully masked his concern.  
  
"What are you two doing up there?"He asked with a smile,making Yuna curse in her mind again as the familiarity of that   
smile continued to taunt her...  
  
"We want to be the first ones to spot Zanarkand!!"Rikku chirped, turning back around and craning her neck.  
  
"You won't see it tonight. Probably won't be able to until tomorrow afternoon I'd guess..."Tidus muttered, almost  
to himself, standing directly behind the two girls.  
  
Trying her best to ignore Tidus' proximity, Yuna just stared out at the sunset, watching the flickering colors reflect off  
of the water.  
  
Tidus knew he was being ignored, and decided that it WAS the best thing.....  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Upon reaching Zanarkand, Tidus just about fainted again. Zanarkand was almost exactly the same as his had been, but  
it was about ten times bigger! It seemed that they'd misread the blueprints.....  
  
"Tidus! You alright, man?" Wakka asked, putting a hand on the young man's shoulder. Tidus blinked several times before answering.  
  
"Yeah. I'm alright."  
  
"Sorry you won't get to see the entrance, there's a statue of this warrior named Auron and it looks very life-like....it's cool, but  
Lulu says we're to go around the back way....Probably cuz of fans or something..."  
  
"Yeah. Maybe Lulu will take me to see it before the game in two days." Tidus replied, smiling at Wakka to ensure that he was okay.  
  
Even over the past couple of days, Wakka began to feel a closeness to Tidus he thought had never existed. But the Sin's spell was  
still hard at work inside his brain, and everytime he got close to thinking about a memory of Tidus and him, the familiar black mist  
was pulled over his mind like a curtain, and he forgot what his last train of thought had been.  
  
"Why did we dock way over here?"Rikku asked as the ship docked at the Southern entrance.  
  
"The blitz fans have already arrived, and they'd probably have attacked this ship if we went in that way." Tidus explained easily.  
  
"Plus, the Aurochs are a lot more popular than the Goers anyway, that would just make it worse." Lulu added, grabbing her small  
suitcase and walking off the ship. They piled into waiting cars and headed to the hotel.  
  
During the drive, Tidus was reminising the whole way.  
  
'My favorite ice cream stand used to be there....' He thought with a smile, remembering the time he and his friends had stolen  
the old man's cart and ridden it down a hill to escape.  
  
'There's the old park....'Another smile came to his face as he looked upon the restored park. When he had played in it it hadn't been  
in the best condition. There was graffitii on just about everything and two of the three swings were broken off. Yet he'd still  
managed to have plenty of good memories in that place.  
  
He had no thoughts as they passed the Blitzball stadium however.  
  
It was bigger than he remembered, and as they passed it he could see that it could now accomdate the whole city population.  
He closed his eyes as he remembered the last time he played blitz there....the last time he'd seen his city in it's normal  
state. Seeing it perfectly restored was almost too much for him, and he squeezed his eyes shut to ward off the oncoming tears.  
  
He felt Yuna's hand on his shoulder, and he relaxed slightly, calling the tears back and opening his eyes. Thankfully they weren't  
blurred with tears, but clear instead.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Yuna asked quietly as he turned towards her.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong. I'm alright." He answered quickly, offering a smile. Again, Yuna couldn't help but smile back.  
  
As her hand left his shoulder, it trailed slowly down his arm, her fingertips tracing their way down to his hand, where they paused  
slightly before retreating completely. Tidus knew the familiar electricity shooting up and down his arm all too well, and he tried  
his best to ignore it until it faded.  
  
Meanwhile, Yuna felt as if her fingertips were aflame, and she had no idea why as the familiar black curtain slid into place once again....  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In Tidus' opinion, the day and a half before the Tournament flew by in a snap, and suddenly, he found him self decked out in   
an Aurochs uniform, sitting in the locker room as he listened to Wakka's victory speech. Suddenly, he thought of something.  
Raising his hand slowly, he waited for Wakka to acknowledge him.  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"Won't they be announcing our names when we go in there?"  
  
"Nope. They just say things like 'and the Aurochs, number 10, number 45" blah blah blah. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah...."Tidus was relieved. His picture had been hanging in the bliztball hall of fame, and he had visited it quickly yesterday to  
see if it was still there. On the contrary, it wasn't just THERE, it was the biggest picture in the whole hall! Sighing quietly, he  
actually tried to focus on Wakka's voice.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, to the 25th annual World Blitzball Tournament!!!" Yelled the announcer over the  
loud speakers. The crowd erupted in a cheer, including Yuna, Lulu and Rikku, who were currently situated in seats above the entrance  
to the Aurochs' locker room.  
  
"Let's get started with the reigning champions for over 10 tournaments, the Goers!!" The players were decked out in purple, and they came out  
of the locker room as there numbers were called. Lulu sighed inwardly when she noticed that the same would be done for the Aurochs.  
  
"And now, the challengers!! Coming to us all the way from Besaid Island....It's the Aurochs!!!!!" Before he'd even finsihed, the crowd had  
erupted into cheers again, even though they thought that the Aurochs had little chance of winning.   
  
Tidus dimly heard his number being called first, as he was the captain of the team. He swallowed nervously, but he then remembered  
that he was used to screaming crowds. Putting on his biggest smile, he ran out of the locker room, waving to the crowd of onlookers as he   
took his place standing out in the field. The rest of the Aurochs filed out in no time, and they were soon ready to go.  
  
The two rings above them crackled with blue electricity, and before long a ball of water had begun forming inside them. The ball grew until it  
was the full size of the still crackling rings. The water's edge brushed against the top of Tidus' head, and he dimly heard the refferee's whistle  
to take postions. He simply leaped into the ball, feeling completely at home once he was completely surrounded. He took his position as  
forward, and waited for his team to finish. When they were, he turned to the opposing forward, surprised to see a shocked look on his face.  
  
"You're...."He said, bubbles rising from his mouth as his eyes widened further.  
  
Tidus only nodded as the ball was thrown into play...  
  
  
*********************************  
  
Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter; I hope to have the next one out soon. I hope that this one was more  
descriptive than the last, and more enjoyable!!  
  
Also a special thanks to Dream-Tidus for reviewing both chapters so positively!!! I love your story, please continue it!!!  
  
Ja ne,  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


	4. The Victory Party!

Much Needed Closure  
Chapter Three - The Victory Party  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X.  
**********************************  
  
'But...this can't be the same guy in the hall of fame.....'Thought the astonished Goers forward   
as he tried vainly to take the ball from Tidus,'That guy was in Zanarkand.....1000 years ago!!!'  
  
None of the other Goers had recognized him, probably because he was swimming far too fast to   
get a good look at him.  
  
Tidus was using the forward's shock to his advantage, manuvering around the stooped player with  
ease as he set up for the 'Jecht shot.'  
  
'Might as well get ahead early...'He thought with a smirk, shooting towards the ball and pushing it   
straight up with his head. It left the water and was in the air, Tidus right behind it. Executing a perfect  
backflip, Tidus felt his foot connect solidly with the ball and watched with an amused expression as it  
sailed past the unsuspecting goalie and into the net, just like when he and Wakka had played on Besaid.  
  
The entire team was staring at him now, but Tidus ignored them, waving to the cheering crowd before diving  
back into the water orb.  
  
The forward finally snapped out of his trance, and swam up to his left defenceman quickly. The man was  
about 6'0, 220 lbs respectively. Whispering something into his ear before taking his position, the forward  
saw that Tidus hadn't noticed the smirk that'd passed across the defenceman's face.  
  
A couple of minutes later, Tidus had set himself up on the left side of the Goers' net, waiting for a pass.  
  
He never saw it coming.  
  
The defenceman faked diving for the ball, ramming into Tidus and sending him flying into the stands at a  
break-neck speed. He was speeding towards Yuna, and all the young summoner had time to do was  
shut her eyes.  
  
Tidus rammed into her, sending them both skidding a couple of rows up, before finally stopping, laying  
sprawled across several reclined seats. Tidus had dimly realized that it would hurt when they stopped,  
and had rolled over so that, when they did stop, he was laying on the seats with Yuna on top of him.  
  
Startled gasps rose from the crowd when there was no movement from the young couple.  
  
Yuna twitched, and a collective sigh was heard.  
  
"You..okay?"Tidus whispered, cracking open one eye slowly. Yuna moaned, holding the side of her head.  
  
"What....just happened?"She asked, pushing on his chest so she could sit up. Once she'd taken up residence  
in an untouched chair beside her, she pulled Tidus into a sitting position.  
  
"The defenceman went for the ball and rammed into me...."He chuckled, checking himself over for injuries.  
He found that all he'd sustained was slight cuts and abraisions and a light headache. Yuna was just as fortunate,  
her only major injury being a thin cut on her forehead.  
  
Tidus stood up, smiled widely and waved again, getting a standing ovation from the crowd.  
  
"Anything for the fans huh...."Yuna muttered with a smile, standing beside him as Lulu and Rikku finally  
made it up to them.  
  
"Can you still play Tidus?" Lulu asked, looking at the scrape on his cheek.  
  
"I'm fine!!"He exclaimed, turning to Yuna with a smile,"Thanks for breaking my fall..."He whispered, grinning  
widely at Lulu before running back down to the field and jumping effortlessly back into the orb.  
  
"Well...."Yuna said with a smile,"That was....interesting....."  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Tidus swam right up to the defenceman.  
  
"I know what you did. But I'm not going to report you this time. If there ever is a next time, count on being benched."  
He hissed, swimming back into the center of the orb for the face-off.  
  
  
  
  
There was two minutes left, and the game was tied at 4 - 4. Tidus had the Aurochs in a huddle.  
  
"Okay....what do you guys think? Should I use my shot or should we do it the old-fashioned way?" He asked.  
  
"They'll be expecting either one..."Muttered a red-haired player, getting several nods from the others. Tidus' brow  
wrinkled as he strained to find a solution. Then, his eyes suddenly snapped open and a smile appeared on his  
face....  
  
  
  
The clock had wound down to the final thirty seconds,and Yuna, Lulu and Rikku were on the edge of their seats. They all  
knew that the team had a plan, and that they'd been setting up for it for the past minute and a half, but they had no  
clue as to what they'd be doing.  
  
The answer suddenly became clear as Tidus' head made contact with the ball again, sending it above the orb, with him close  
behind.  
  
"He's doing his shot!!"Rikku gasped.  
  
"But why? They're expecting that..."Lulu muttered.  
  
Yuna was about to put her two cents in, when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the red-haired player leaped up   
from behind Tidus,stealing the ball away from him and speeding towards the net. While the Goers had set up to block the   
shot from flying at the net, the sides of the net were completely unprotected. The player came up on the goalie's left side,   
shooting the ball into the net with little effort as the clock wound down to zero.  
  
The cheer that erupted from the stadium sent Rikku off her seat with the volume.  
  
Wakka was jumping up and down in the locker room, screaming for all he was worth.  
  
Lulu was cheering with the rest of the crowd, waving exuberantly at Tidus from the stands.  
  
Yuna was just standing there with a smirk on her face, thinking about the sheer genius of the plan.  
  
Tidus and the others were dog-piling on each other, hugging and screaming and yelling and just being happy. They then  
swam out of the orb, hoisting Tidus onto their shoulders and waving to the crowd.  
  
'I haven't seen him that happy since he got back...'Lulu thought as the Aurochs were presented with the trophy.   
Tidus tried to push it away when they handed it to him, but he just had to hold it up when they finally got him to take   
it. By this time, Wakka was behind Lulu, yelling for them to follow him down onto the field.  
  
He was the first one down there of course, and he hugged Tidus so tight it looked like he was going to kill him. He finally  
put him down, racing over to the rest of the team, who were currently being positioned with the trophy for a picture.  
  
Catching sight of Yuna, Tidus ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and spinning her around,   
laughing out loud as she screamed in surprise.  
  
"Tidus!!Get over here for a second!!"Wakka called. The words barely registered to Tidus as he slowly lowered   
Yuna to the ground, setting her gently on her feet. Their faces were once again very close, but Yuna smiled and   
pointed him towards his team. He nodded, running over and sitting front and center in the picture, holding the trophy with Wakka.  
  
"What was that all about?"Rikku questioned, looking at Yuna with a sly look on her face.  
  
"He was just happy that's all. I was the closest thing to swing around I guess!"Yuna laughed. Rikku was going to persist,  
but Lulu's hand on her shoulder stopped her. She nodded with a sigh, watching Yuna laugh loudly as Tidus gave Wakka  
bunny ears as the camera flashed...  
  
************  
  
Later that evening, Wakka decided to throw a victory party. The Aurochs, of course, were there, but they invited the Goers as well.  
  
Heck, eventually, Wakka was letting in fans that came to the door!  
  
"Excuse me?"Came a voice behind Yuna. She turned to see a little boy standing there, a blitzball in his hand.  
  
"Yes?" She replied, leaning down to the boy's height.  
  
"Where's Mr. Tidus? I...I wanna get his autograph."  
  
"You just stay right here, okay? I'll go get him for you."Yuna replied, watching the boy's face light up instantly.  
  
She had to wander around for a minute, but she eventually found him. Surrounded by girls no less. At first she thought he  
was enjoying it, but then she noticed that he was trying to politely excuse himself from them. She smiled, walking up to  
him and snaking her arm through his. The girls needed only a second to recognize her as the girl that Tidus had swung around  
after the game. The image of the two of them hugging had been broadcasted to the entire stadium on the screens. They all  
left without another word, leaving Tidus looking at Yuna with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"How did you....?"  
  
"Everyone thinks we're a couple now because of that stunt you pulled earlier."Yuna answered, leading him slowly  
towards where the boy was waiting.  
  
"Oh.....well I'll clear that up at the press conference tomorrow, okay?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"So....where are we going now?"  
  
"To meet one of your loyal fans."  
  
"Uh...incase you haven't noticed, I just spent about an hour getting RID of those loyal fans."  
  
"I know, but this one is....this one loves you because you play blitzball not because of your looks." Yuna replied,  
letting go of his arm as she finished, reaching out and leading the boy out from behind the table.  
  
"Hey there."Tidus said, smiling widely and bending down to the boy's height like Yuna had before.  
  
"Hi."Came the quiet answer.  
  
"What'cha got there?"Tidus asked, gesturing to the blitzball under the boy's arm.  
  
'He'd make a great father....'Yuna thought with a smile, watching the shy way the boy slowly began to open up.  
  
"It's my blitzball, sir."  
  
"Please, call me Tidus. Sir makes me sound old, huh?"  
  
The boy laughed, stepping closer to Tidus cautiously.  
  
"Would you like me to sign that for you?" Tidus asked, once again motioning to the blitzball. The boy nodded  
vigorously, and handed the ball over. Tidus started looking around for a pen, but stopped when Yuna held  
one in front of his face. He smiled, taking it from her and writing a small note on the ball.  
  
The boy almost fainted when he saw Tidus writing more than just his name on the ball, and his face broke out in an  
ear-to-ear grin as Tidus handed the ball back to him.  
  
Just then a young woman with dark brown hair ran up to them, looking frantic. She rushed up to Yuna and spoke.  
  
"Have you seen-"She stopped short when she saw her son laughing with Tidus. THE Tidus!!  
  
"Don't worry. Your son is fine, he just got his blitzball signed."Yuna reassured.  
  
"Tidus signed Kyle's blitzball?"She asked, shocked.  
  
"Yes. Why is that bad?"  
  
"No but the Goers told me that Tidus hated giving autographs to children when I asked about him."  
  
"Quite the opposite in fact. The Goers obviously are sore losers. Trust me, Tidus loves children,and he's always been  
willing to give autographs." Yuna answered, a conversation between her and Tidus being her information source.  
It never even registered that this conversation had taken place over ten months ago, and it never did register because   
as quickly as it'd come, it was gone again.  
  
The woman looked relieved, sighing lightly before walking up to them with Yuna.  
  
Tidus looked up and stood upon noticing Yuna and the woman.  
  
"Mommy Mommy lookie!!!"Shouted Kyle, thrusting his ball up towards his mother so she could see it,"Tidus signed it!!!"  
  
"Make sure you take extra special care of it now, Kyle."She replied with a smile.  
  
"I will I will!!"  
  
"Thank you so much."She said, turning her attention to Tidus, who was now standing beside Yuna.  
  
"It was nothing. I love kids!"Tidus replied enthusiastically.  
  
"Thank you!"Kyle said, taking his mother's hand.  
  
"No prob!"Tidus said, rufling Kyle's hair playfully.  
  
"I hope you two stay together, you really look happy."She said with a smile before turning and leaving.  
  
Tidus and Yuna both blushed lightly, watching them leave.  
  
"Clear it up at the press conference huh?"  
  
"I will I promise!!!"Tidus said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. Yuna playfully slapped his shoulder  
before walking off to find Lulu. When she was out of sight, Tidus' face fell slightly and he ran his hand through his   
hair with a heavy sigh.  
  
"Women eh?"Wakka said, clapping a hand on Tidus' shoulder as he came up behind him.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"But, what can ya do?"  
  
"Not much unfortunatly..."Tidus replied with a smile,"Hey let's get the dancing started shall we?"  
  
"Ya! Where's the DJ?"Wakka asked as they started looking for the platinujm blonde man.  
  
"Over there!"Tidus replied after a minute, spotting the guy talking to one of his friends.  
  
"Hey DJ!"Wakka shouted, drawing his attention,"You can start now ya?"  
  
The man nodded, walking over to his desk, and turning on his mic.  
  
"Hey everybody! Can you all hear me okay?"He asked, getting a chorus of 'yes' as a response,"Alright! Well I've  
been told to get this party going so that's what I'm gonna do!"Loud clapping and cheering ensued, the fans and  
players still riled up from the game.  
  
About a minute later, a futuristic trance mix blasted out of the speakers, and people started hitting the floor.  
  
  
  
"Look at that blonde girl! She must be drunk or something!"Yuna laughed from the sidelines as she watched a  
young blonde fall over numerous times as she danced. Lulu nodded her agreement, wanting to have her voice  
intact by the next morning.  
  
The loud base began to fade as the song concluded, and Yuna could feel her eardrums pounding from the volume.  
  
Another club song wafted out onto the floor, and Yuna laughed again and pointed towards a sight that made even Lulu  
laugh loudly.  
  
A young red-head had dragged Tidus out onto the floor and was proceeding to grind against him. This obviously  
disturbed him, as he was trying to politely send her on her way.  
  
"You should go save him again, I think he's starting to blush."Lulu yelled in Yuna's ear. Even though she was yelling,  
Yuna could barely make out what she had said, but she did and walked out onto the floor with a smile, despite the  
fact that her eardrums seemed to have burst by now.  
  
Coming up behind the frightened blonde man, Yuna couldn't help but laugh again.  
  
This time the obviously drunk girl was beginning to run her hands over Tidus, making him blush and squirm even more.  
  
  
  
Tidus thought he was going to die.  
  
One: He had never danced before EVER  
  
and Two: He had never been in close contact with a girl like this.  
  
Both of these facts put him in an extremely awkward situation that got way worse when she started groping him!  
  
Then he felt two more hands snake around his neck, and he was about to turn and tell the girl to buzz off, when he  
suddenly realized who it was. He could never forget that night in the Macalania woods, especially the way Yuna's  
arms had wrapped around his neck.  
  
Even though she was drunk, the red head saw the other pair of arms and growled, walking around Tidus to  
screech at the interrupting girl.  
  
"What do ya think you'rrre doin!"She slurred, pointing at Yuna accusingly.  
  
"Nothing. I just think you've had him long enough."Yuna replied with a warm smile.  
  
"Bitch..."The girl muttered, but then seeming to forget everything that just happened as another man began to dance with her.  
  
Laughing again, Yuna withdrew her arms and stepped in front of the grateful blonde.  
  
"Thank you thank you thank you!!!"Tidus yelled over the pulsing base.  
  
"No problem!!"Yuna yelled back, starting to walk off the floor.  
  
Just as she caught Lulu's gaze, the music faded into the slow beats of the song 'I Never Had A Dream Come True'.(AN: I thought this  
particular song by S Club 7 would be appropriate for Yuna and Tidus. ^_- )  
  
She then felt a hand wrap around her wrist gently, and she turned into Tidus, who was smiling at her warmly.  
  
"Do you want to dance?"  
  
"Well we're already here aren't we?"Yuna replied, letting him lead her into the center of the floor.  
  
  
  
Lulu watched the entire exchange with a knowing smile on her face. Wakka came to stand beside her, and raised and eyebrow  
as she looked at him. She leaned up to his ear so he could hear better, and she summed up what had taken place. Wakka laughed   
lightly as he turned his own gaze on the swaying couple.  
  
"They look good together, ya?"  
  
"Yes. They do...."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing, I just have a lot on my mind."  
  
"Tell me bout it. Maybe it'll help eh?"  
  
"Maybe tomorrow, okay?"Lulu replied, watching Wakka smile and nod before walking over to the drink table.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Tidus again thought he was going to die.  
  
This time it was different however. He wasn't going to join the deceased because he was holding Yuna so close, no that was  
what he loved. What was killing him was the fact that she had no memory of him whatsoever, and he couldn't whisper in her  
ear right now and talk about their first kiss in the woods, and about how he hoped for a repeat performance soon.  
  
Right now, all he could do was hold her, store this memory away with all the others and hope she would be able to reminice   
with him again someday...  
  
  
  
'Why does this feel so....perfect?'Yuna thought as she listened to Tidus' heartbeat. Somewhere in that back of her head, her  
mind was screaming that this heartbeat was familiar; that she had fallen asleep listening to it before...  
  
Yet again, that curtain was pulled, and the thought left her. She simply sighed, leaning more into his warm embrace, wanting  
to enjoy the moment as best she could.  
  
  
  
Hours later, after the last guests cleared out of the hall and Wakka and the others had left and went back to their Hotel rooms,  
not one person was sleeping. They were all laying in bed, on the verge of sleep, and these were the thoughts in their minds.  
  
  
Rikku - 'Watching those couples tonight....I miss Auron....'  
  
Wakka - 'I should have asked her to dance wit me....'  
  
Lulu - 'They better get their memories back soon....I wonder what would have happened if I would have danced with him....?'  
  
Tidus - 'I never thought it was possible to feel such an enormous amount of love and pain at the same time....'  
  
Yuna - 'Everything about him...his smile...his eyes...his touch...even his damn heartbeat!! Why is he so familiar....?'  
  
  
  
**********************************************************************  
Well, there it is, the next chapter!!  
  
I'd like to thank deanine for the great feedback on my story and once again to Dream-Tidus for being so  
nice to me!! *sniff* I feel so loved.... *sniff*  
  
Look for the next Chapter soon!!!  
  
ja ne,  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


	5. A Slight Change of Plans

Much Needed Closure  
Chapter Four - Sin Begins To Disapate...  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything I write about from here on out. How's that?  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Rikku was in a dream.....yet it wasn't really a dream. She was just standing there, surrounded by nothing  
but black emptyness. It was as if she was waiting for something...  
  
She started to take a couple of steps forward, but decided against continuing. seeing as it didn't look like she'd  
gone anywhere anyway.  
  
Then suddenly, a tiny light began to shimmer in front of her, and it grew in size and intensity until it began to  
take form and color. It turned red, and continued to shift and turn until it finally took the shape of a tall  
human form. Rikku gasped as the form cleared and settled into a flawlessly familiar image.  
  
"Auron!"She gasped, taking a few steps towards him.  
  
"Hello Rikku. This isn't a social visit, but rather a wake up call."  
  
"What....do you mean?"  
  
"You know who he is Rikku, Sin just isn't letting you see that...."  
  
"What do you mean Sin? Sin is destroyed."  
  
"Now it is, but it wasn't before. A single cell remained, and it used the last of it's power to erase yours, Yuna's  
Wakka's and Lulu's memory of Tidus before sucking him back into this world. It knew that this would be what  
would cause the most pain to those who destroyed it, so that's why it did this. But for some reason, Lulu wasn't  
affected, which is why she recognized him when Wakka brought him into Besaid. The cell self-destructed after  
it's work was complete, it not having enough power to even sustain itself."Auron explained slowly, watching  
carefully as Rikku took in the information.  
  
"So.....can you get everyone else's memory back?"She asked after several minutes, her memory having returned  
to her fully.  
  
"No. I have only enough power for one visit, and I chose you."  
  
"Oh. I see...."Rikku wanted to ask why, but decided against it.  
  
"I...wanted to see you again."He said suddenly, placing a hand on her cheek. Rikku could barely feel it, but  
she knew it was there, not just by sight, but by feel. It was there, lingering on her skin like a cool mist, somehow  
feeling warm to her nonetheless.  
  
"Why can't you come back?"She whispered, watching with blurring eyes as his apparition began to disappear.  
  
"I'm not allowed....But please Rikku, don't tell anyone but Lulu and Tidus that you remember him, alright? The others  
must find out on their own...."  
  
"Auron! Please stay......"Rikku begged quietly as he became increasingly more transparent.  
  
"I'm sorry........."  
  
And with that, his image was gone, and Rikku was standing alone in the black void once again.  
  
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was staring at the sun-brightened walls of her hotel room...  
  
************************************  
  
'I have just enough time left to warn her...' Auron thought with urgency as he closed his eyes and focused on the dream   
world Yuna was currently occupying...  
  
************************************  
  
Yuna couldn't have been more happy. She was standing in the Macalania Woods late at night, standing knee-deep  
in the crystal blue water, watching the moon and stars come out. It was in this peaceful state and place that a  
voice interrupted her crudely.  
  
"Yuna...."  
  
"Who's there?" She called out, looking around for the source of the voice.  
  
"Listen to me carefully Yuna...."  
  
"Alright I'm listening."She answered, deciding that this must be important if the voice seemed so urgent.  
  
"Heed my words....If you do not realize him soon, he will be lost to you...forever this time....."  
  
"Who? Who will be lost to me and when did I lose him before?"  
  
"Heed my words...for they are all I can offer you...."  
  
"But what do you mean?!?!" Yuna cried out, sitting straight up in her bed, looking around as the man's words till  
rang out in her head.  
  
"What do you mean...."She whispered to herself, getting out of bed slowly, pulling open her curtains to let in the sunlight.  
  
  
  
  
  
They all met for breakfast half-an-hour later in the lobby, checking out of their rooms on the way down, for they would be heading  
back to Besaid this afternoon. Rikku, not being able to wait any longer, pulled Lulu and Tidus aside when they came down.  
  
"What is it Rikku?"Lulu asked, standing next to Tidus.  
  
"I rememeber you!!"She shrieked.  
  
"Shhhh!"Lulu hissed as Tidus grinned and hugged her.  
  
"How?' He asked as they pulled away. Rikku's face suddenly got sad.  
  
"Auron visited me in my dreams and made me remember. Apparently, it was a Sin cell that's making everyone forget you."  
  
"Well, as long as someone else remembers me I'm cool. Now come on already I'm hungry!" Tidus whined, pulling the two   
women in the direction on the tables. They just smiled and went with him.  
  
  
Taking a seat beside Yuna, Tidus dug into his food right away. About halfway through his plate, he noticed that Yuna had simply  
been poking at her food, as if deep in thought. Smiling, he waved a hand in front of her face. It took her a couple of seconds,  
but she reacted, turning to him slowly with a half-smile.  
  
"Hey. You look like you're a million miles away."  
  
"I am...."  
  
"Wanna tell me about it?" He offered quietly, placing a hand on her arm.  
  
'There's that damned electricity again..' Yuna cursed in her mind, but maintaining her outward smile.  
  
"How about....on the ship okay?"  
  
"Okay then. Don't try to hide cause I'll find you!"He replied with a smirk before digging in again. Yuna stiffled a giggle and  
began to eat her own food, suddenly feeling better knowing she had his support.  
  
  
Lulu had watched the whole exchange, smiling inwardly at Tidus. She felt a kind of sisterly bond forming between them, which  
was unusual seeing as when she'd first met him she'd had less than a positive inclination to be his friend, let alone sister.  
She began picking at her food as she silently prayed to...whatever god was around now that Yuna would remember soon...  
  
  
  
Up in the Farplane, Auron heard her prayer, and his lips turned up ever-so-slightly at the corners.  
  
'I'm trying Lulu...'He thought as he watched them eat in silence....that is, silence until some of Rikku's eggs accidentally went flying  
into Wakka's hair, and stuck there.   
  
Thinking she did it on purpose, the flame-haired Besaidian chucked some of his own breakfast at her,  
missing by about a foot and hitting Tidus, which was the downfall of them all. He picked up his remaining food and threw it  
in all directions, hitting everyone, even Yuna. She wasn't too happy, and, when he stood up to get better throwing leverage,  
pushed him over, landing on top of him on the ground.  
  
Everyone stopped, leaning over the table's edge to see what would happen.  
  
"Food Fight!!"She yelled, smashing some eggs into Tidus' face with a laugh. That laugh turned into a shriek when he picked her  
up effortlessly, swinging her over his shoulder and walking outside. They all knew where this was going, and they were right...  
  
He walked out onto the deck, and stopped at the edge of the pool, still from lack of activity. That was changed in a split second as Tidus  
dropped the young summoner into the water.  
  
Lulu ran out, stopping near the water's edge to look at her friend, just resurfacing.  
  
"After you Lu..."She heard a voice whisper in her ear as she was pushed into the water. When she surfaced beside Yuna, she saw  
Wakka and Tidus hi-fiving each other and knew what had transpired. She looked to Yuna, who smirked in return, and they  
grabbed the men's legs, yanking them in the water with them.  
  
'Perfect...' Tidus thought, opening his eyes under the water. Once he did, it was hard to keep them focused on anything besides  
Yuna's legs. Shaking his head, he too decided surfacing was a good idea. He came up right behind Yuna, blowing in her ear before diving again.  
  
She whirled around right as his feet went under, and she laughed, diving in herself to chase him.  
  
"What are they doing...?"Lulu muttered, watching the two as they swam around, occasionally coming up for a quick breath.  
  
"Having fun, ya?" Wakka replied.  
  
"She was....a little preoccupied at breakfast. Did you notice that?" She asked, turning to him for an answer.  
  
"Ya...she seemed like she was thinkin bout somethin else all togeter you know?"  
  
"By the way...."She said after a minute, dunking his head underwater and swimming away. He came up sputtering, smiling at  
the attitude she had. At this rate they were going to miss the boat...  
  
  
Meanwhile, Yuna had given up on chasing Tidus, remembering too late that water seemed to be his element. She simply treaded water  
and soon enough he joined her.  
  
"Come on!!!"He whined, swimming in circles around her,"Why'd you stop chasing me? That was fun."  
  
"Only because you were winning,"She replied, reaching out an arm to stop him from circling. Her hand landed on his chest,  
which stopped him abruptly. He swam closer to her, not removing her hand.  
  
"Am I making you dizzy?" He asked quietly, getting even closer to her. Neither of them made any effort to move her hand.  
  
'You always make me dizzy...'She thought, but instead settled for,"You're starting to."  
  
"Oh...sorry...."The distance between them was closing even more and this time, Tidus knew he wouldn't be able to control  
himself if they got any closer. It had just been too long...  
  
"Come on guys!! The Taxi's here!!!"Rikku yelled from inside, jolting the two back to reality and making them pull apart.  
  
As they exited the pool to dry off, Tidus and Yuna were having the same thought:  
  
'I don't know whether to thank Rikku or kill her...'  
  
  
Thirty minutes later saw the group boarding the S.S Liki, ready to head back to Besaid.  
  
  
After the boat was on it's way and moving, Lulu got an idea. Heading swiftly for the captain's quarters, she  
couldn't help but smirk to herself at her thoughts...  
  
  
"Yuna?" Tidus asked quietly, approaching the girl at the rear of the ship just after the sun had set.  
  
"Hm?" She replied, turning slightly to smile at him.  
  
"You...said you'd tell me about...that whole million miles away thing from breakfast, remember?" He said, turning  
around and sitting on the ship's railing, his back to the dark waters.  
  
"Okay..."She took in a slow breath and stepped directly in front of him to tell her story, "I had this dream last night..."  
She paused, and Tidus just about cried with joy.  
  
'Maybe she had the same dream as Rikku!' He thought, concealing his emotion.  
  
"This unfamiliar voice talked to me... I was standing in a peaceful place, and suddenly, he spoke."  
  
"He?" Tidus asked, his hopes crushed, yet still curious.  
  
"It was definatly a man's voice, it was rough and...throaty almost." Yuna supplied.  
  
'Auron!' Tidus decided. He could think of no one else, but maybe it was just him...  
  
"Anyways...he told me, 'If you don't realize him soon, he will be lost to you... forever this time...' or something to  
that effect. I don't know who he's talking about..." She continued, leaning against the rail with her back to the ocean.  
  
'Me....' Tidus thought glumly, 'So I'm going to disappear again huh? Great...just great...'  
  
"Maybe it's just a wacky one-time thing, you know?"He offered, smiling slightly. She returned the gesture slowly.  
  
"Perhaps you're right....Well, I had better turn in. Goodnight Tidus."  
  
"Sweet dreams!" He called after her after she started to walk towards the cabins.  
  
"...You too." She replied softly, turning around to offer him another smile and walking off.  
  
After she was out of sight, Tidus let out a sigh, turning to lean on the rail, staring into the water.  
  
"Sweet dreams?" Came a voice from behind him, "She has anything but those. She just told you that, didn't she?"  
  
"Yes Lulu, she just told me that." Tidus answered, not even turning around to face the mage.  
  
"So what's the problem?"  
  
"I can't stand it anymore! I love her so much and I......" The frustrated blitzer was at a loss for words.  
  
"Don't know what to do?" Lulu supplied, standing next to him. Tidus only nodded.  
  
"Well...I believe I have a solution."She said with a light smile, turning to face the now curious young blonde.  
  
We're going to be making a stop in the morning. We'll already be docked by the time everyone wakes up, so  
no worries in that department..."She paused, and Tidus raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Where are we stopping? Shouldn't we just head back to Besaid as soon as we can?"  
  
"We're going to Lake Macalania, Tidus."  
  
The words made Tidus freeze as the memories of that one night flashed through his mind in vivid detail. After a few  
seconds, he shook his head and re-focused on Lulu.  
  
"Maybe if you waited at the lake, and I sent Yuna there....she might remember."  
  
"But even if we do, we'll still have Wakka to worry about..."  
  
Not having any solution to that particular problem, Lulu simply stared out at the water.  
  
"You don't haveta worry bout me, ya?" Came a voice from the shadowed cabin area.  
  
"How could we not Wakka." Lulu replied, not even turning to acknowledge him.  
  
"Listen," Wakka started, walking right up to Tidus before continuing, "I remember everything, ya!!!"  
  
Tidus' face broke out into a grin and he drew Wakka into a bear hug, squeezing him fiercely.  
  
"Really?? This is...this is...wow!!" Tidus laughed as he withdrew from the embrace.   
  
"That leaves one person now..." Lulu interrupted, gazing at the wooden hull of the ship.  
  
"What about Kimahri?" Tidus asked, suddenly remembering the Ronso warrior.  
  
"He's been up at Mount Gagazet since Sin was defeated." Lulu supplied.  
  
"He probly wasn't affected, ya?"  
  
"Most likely not..." Lulu replied. She explained her plan to Wakka, and he was supportive of it, hoping  
that Yuna would remember soon so the two of them could be happy again. He knew just by looking  
at him that Tidus was in pain everyday because of her memory loss, and he probably wouldn't be  
able to keep smiling for much longer around her.  
  
"I'm going to turn in, alright?"Tidus said after a minute, turning to walk into the cabins.  
  
"G'night man."Called Wakka.  
  
"See you in Macalania."Lulu said, watching the weary blonde disappear into the shadows.  
  
"That is a good idea you got Lu."Wakka said after a few seconds, breaking the short silence.  
  
"I just hope it works." She replied, turning to leave. She paused, placing a hand lightly on Wakka's  
shoulder, "I'm...glad you got your memory back Wakka. Good night."  
  
"Night Lu." He replied after a second, noticing that her hand lingered on his shoulder a little   
longer than it probably should have. He smiled and followed her towards the cabin area.  
  
  
  
  
  
Yuna emerged from her cabin, stretching quickly before walking out onto the deck of the ship.  
  
Her eyes widened as she was met with the icy-looking trees of the Macalania Woods in front of  
the ship's bow instead of the warm waters of Besaid. She walked off the ship, seeking out Lulu,  
who was currently leaning against a nearby tree, waiting for her.  
  
"Why are we in Macalania?" Yuna asked, slightly puzzled at the detour.  
  
"Wakka and I decided that we needed a little...vacation of sorts. The lake area is beautiful this time of year,  
so we figured that spending a few days camped there would be a good R and R oppurtunity." The mage  
explained, hoping Yuna would take the bait.  
  
"Oh good! I actually wanted to see the Lake at night sometime in my life. I heard it was really beautiful,  
especially with the pyreflies."  
  
'Yes! That was easier than I thought...' Lulu thought, saying instead, "Well let's go to the camp then.  
The others are already set up."  
  
  
  
  
A few hours later, shortly after sunset, the group had just finished dinner and were currently in relax mode.  
  
Rikku was reading an Al Bhed journal up in a tree, and Wakka was helping Lulu clean up. Yuna was bored, and she could find  
no one to talk to. She wanted to talk to Tidus, but she didn't know where he went. She approached Lulu and tapped her  
shoulder.  
  
"Where's Tidus?"  
  
"At the Lake. Just follow that path South for a few meters and you'll find it." Lulu directed. Yuna smiled and nodded,  
walking off slowly.  
  
"I see she took da "bait"?"Wakka asked, leaning slightly towards Lulu as the two watched Yuna disappear around the corner.  
  
"Hook, Line and Sinker." Lulu replied with a smirk.  
  
  
  
'I can't stand this anymore!!' Tidus screamed in his mind. He was floating in Macalania Lake on his back, staring blankly  
up at the winking stars, wanting badly to scream to relieve his frustrations, but deciding against it. All he could think  
about was that night at this very Lake, where he and Yuna had first truly acknowledged their feelings for each other.....  
In the form of a kiss, that is.  
  
He remembered every detail, like the exact way she'd been surprised at first when his lips met hers, but then  
responded with equal passion after a second's hesitation. He could recall the exact way her crystal tears had  
slipped down her cheeks, mingling with a few droplets of water and falling into the clear lake.  
  
He turned around and dove under the water, revelling in the feeling of being at home that he felt when surrounded by  
the overly-abundant liquid. It was his second home and he was perfectly comfortable in it.  
  
He had held his breath for just under a minute when his acute underwater sight picked up two objects entering the water.  
His mind registered them as feet two seconds later, and another couple of seconds passed before he realized that  
the feet belonged to a certain Summoner he'd fallen head-over-heels in love with.  
  
He surfaced immediatly, opening his eyes to find that she was about half-a-foot in front of him.  
  
"Uhh...hiya!" Tidus said after a minute, breaking the silence.  
  
"Hi...gosh it's beautiful out here..."Yuna replied, lifting her gaze from his perfect eyes to the night sky and the effect it's  
eerie light made the lake look more peaceful.  
  
"You've never seen the Lake at night?" Tidus inquired, floating on his back in circles in front of her.  
  
"No...." His swimming was interrupted as he heard giggles begin to flow from Yuna's lips.  
  
"What's so funny?" He asked, planting his feet on the lake bottom and standing upright.  
  
"You...looked like a seal just now." She stated bluntly, still laughing quietly.  
  
"Oh thanks. I'm glad you find my appearence amusing." He replied, pretending to be hurt.  
  
"Oh...I didn't mean to insult you..."Yuna's laughter stopped, and her voice grew quiet and serious.  
  
Tidus sighed lightly, swimming over to her and lifting her chin so she met his gaze. He didn't remove his  
finger right away, leaving it to linger on her skin for a moment longer than he knew he should have. He  
had taken off his gloves upon entering the lake, secretly loving the feeling of her skin touching his.  
  
"I was just kidding." He said simply, flashing her the smile that haunted her dreams.  
  
'What is it about that smile.....that seems to make all my fears go away?' Yuna asked herself, allowing  
time for her to momentarily become lost in his cerulean gaze. She cleared her throat quietly, and turned  
her gaze to an area just behind Tidus where pyreflies were currently creating quite a light show.  
  
The two stood side by side for a minute, watching the insects as they swirled and danced, looking like  
lost souls departing for the Farplane. Their light faded after several more minutes, and they resumed their  
normal habits, buzzing quietly at the water's edge.  
  
Yuna smiled to herself, and closed her eyes. Suddenly an image rushed to the forefront of her mind.  
  
It was night, on this very lake, she noticed, and someone was crying. Her vision panned over to the  
source of the sound, which was her! There was another person with her, but a strange black mist  
concealed his image and contorted his voice when he spoke. That person, obviously a man, placed his  
hands lightly on her shoulders, lowering his head and slowly capturning her lips with his own.  
  
Yuna gasped aloud, fainting suddenly as that black mist enveloped her conscious mind as well.  
  
"Yuna!" Tidus exclaimed, reaching over to catch her before her head went under the water. He lifted her  
into his arms with little effort, carrying her out of the lake and back towards camp.  
  
"Lulu! Wakka!" He called out, reaching his tent just as they saw Yuna in his arms.  
  
"What happened?" Lulu asked, checking her over quickly.  
  
"I-I don't know she just, just fainted!" Tidus explained, calming down a little when Wakka placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Well luckily there's nothing wrong with her. She must be tired, that's all." Lulu concluded after a moment. Wakka had made   
a circle of large rocks near Yuna's head on the dirt floor of the tent. Lulu then cast a Fira spell, creating a fire that would keep Yuna  
warm for the night.  
  
"What happened to Yunie?" Rikku asked as she rushed inside the tent.  
  
"She's okay, ya? Nothin to worry about." Wakka replied, obviously relieving the young Al Bhed.  
  
Her eyes then widened as she looked at Tidus' right hand, currently draped lazily on his knee.  
  
"Rikku?" Lulu inquired, raisning an eyebrow at the girl.  
  
She raised a shaky hand, pointing to Tidus' hand before whispering, "T-Tidus....your hand...look...."  
  
Tidus moved his gaze to the aforementioned limb, perfect cerulean eyes becoming dark and sad as he noticed the problem.  
  
"You're...you can't be..." Wakka was at a loss for words as well, but Tidus knew all too well what was happening.  
  
"Yes Wakka. I'm disappearing again........."  
  
  
  
****************************************************  
  
Well? What did ya think? Please R+R and I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter.  
  
Here's a preview for next time:  
  
Upon reaching the shores of Besaid, Tidus was the first off the boat. Yuna came after him, and she held out a hand  
for him to help her, since she was still a little disoriented from her fainting spell. Momentarily forgetting about his  
"situation" Tidus reached out his right hand. Yuna put her hand in his and was surprised when she felt nothing but air!  
  
She just about fell, but Tidus caught her, supporting her with his left arm.  
  
"Sorry about that. I wasn't watching and you.....you missed my hand." He explained quietly.  
  
"Oh, alright." Yuna replied, smiling warmly at him before slowly walking up the path to Besaid Village.  
  
After she went around the corner, Tidus' head dropped and he felt tears coming to her normally sparkling eyes.  
  
"It'll be alright, ya?" Wakka offered quietly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "We won't let you leave us again...."  
  
  
  
Well, I hope you' re intrigued now!  
  
Till next time,  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


	6. Yet Another Travel Destination Is Set

Much Needed Closure  
Chapter Five - Yet Another Travel Destination Is Set......  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
  
Disclaimer: I have no claim whatsoever on FFX or it's characters.  
  
Note: I know that the DJ and band and stuff in the fourth chapter were not in their world but come on, it fit with the story didn't it? I never  
even thought of it that way actually, and I was re-reading all the chapters and I noticed it. Please don't mind that, because I  
think it suited the story regardless! Anyways, here's chapter five, I hope you like the intro....  
  
*******************************************  
  
Hey out there! How you doin?  
  
Anyways, you probly wonderin what 'appened to me ya? Well, let me tell you what 'appened okay? Here goes...  
  
*********  
  
I was playing with a blitzball on the rear deck of the ship, ya? and suddenly, I heard something. It was a voice,  
I realized after a minute, and it was coming from the stern of the ship. So I slowly walked over to it, and I gasped  
when I got there.  
  
Sir Jecht was standing right in front of me!  
  
"Sir Jecht?" I asked quietly, my mouth open slightly and my eyes wide.  
  
"Yeah it's me." He replied simply, folding his arms over his chest and looking at me for a minute. Needless to say I was stunned.  
  
"W-why are you here sir?" I asked quietly, taking a cautious step towards him.  
  
"I'm here to....help my son."  
  
"Who's that?" I inquired curiously. I never knew he had a son....  
  
"You know him. Tidus. About my height; blond hair; blue eyes; tan."  
  
"He's your....son?"  
  
"Aw come on Wakka, make this a little easier for me will ya? You know him....think about it."  
  
What's there to think about I thought, it's not like I know him....  
  
But then...I did think about it, and suddenly, I saw a vision, sorta....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tidus was treading water, waiting for the kind stranger, Wakka, to resurface. The aforementioned man came up behind the blonde,  
grabbing his head in a light headlock.  
  
"Got a favor to ask ya." He said.  
  
"You want me on your team right?" Tidus replied unenthusiastically, breaking free of the lock.  
  
"Everyone in Spira'll be there. Someone's bound to recognize you. Then you can go back to your old team right? Whadda ya say, uh?  
Come on! Come on!"(AN: Not sure if I got this quote exactly right....) Wakka begged as Tidus floated on his back nearby.  
  
"Sure thing." He replied, going under the water and swimming for the tunnel that led to the village.  
  
"Dude! Our team is gonna rock eh?" Wakka said with a smile before diving in and following Tidus.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"See what I mean?" Jecht said with a smirk as I snapped out of my trance.  
  
"I can't believe that Sin...could do that ya? I thought....I thought you were Sin....?" I replied, slightly confused.  
  
"As soon as it was defeated, I was freed. That last cell wasn't under my influence, but since the very core of Sin is  
evil, it retaliated in the only way it knew how." Jecht explained slowly. I nodded along and was feeling less in the  
dark when he was done.  
  
"I feel so bad...What I did to him....Gosh what he must have felt when I rejected him like that, ya?" I said quietly  
to myself, hanging my head.  
  
"Well...he'll forget all about it when you tell him you've got your memory back. He's...a good kid." This time it was  
Sir Jecht who hung his head, "Look after him for me will ya?" He said after a minute as his apparition began to  
fade.  
  
"I will. Don't you worry none ya?" I replied, watching him smile lightly before he fully disappeared. With that, I walked  
over to the other side of the deck, where I stumbled upon Tidus and Lulu talking....  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Maybe if you waited at the lake, and I sent Yuna there....she might remember."  
  
"But even if we do, we'll still have Wakka to worry about..."  
  
Not having any solution to that particular problem, Lulu simply stared out at the water.  
  
"You don't haveta worry bout me, ya?" Came a voice from the shadowed cabin area.  
  
"How could we not Wakka." Lulu replied, not even turning to acknowledge him.  
  
"Listen," Wakka started, walking right up to Tidus before continuing, "I remember everything, ya!!!"  
  
Tidus' face broke out into a grin and he drew Wakka into a bear hug, squeezing him fiercely.  
  
"Really?? This is...this is...wow!!" Tidus laughed as he withdrew from the embrace.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
So anywayz, that's how I got to remember Tidus, ya? I just thought you might be interested, seeing as  
no one told you guys what was going on wit me, eh? (AN: Oopsie...)  
  
So, back to the story.....  
  
*********************************************************************************************  
  
Yuna awoke from her slumber with a headache the next morning, sitting up slowly and looking around her tent.  
She smiled lightly when she noticed Tidus, sleeping soundly on the floor in a curled up ball, snoring quietly.  
  
She didn't want to wake him, but when she saw that the others outside were already packed up, she  
nudged him with her foot until he stirred. He swiped her foot away at first, but when it persisted,  
he cracked open one eye to see what the commotion was.  
  
"Morning sleepy head." Yuna laughed lightly, watching him sit up and rub his eyes like a tired child.  
  
"Already?" He replied, groggily reaching his arms into the air with a yawn as he stretched, "Well we  
better get going then. That captian dosen't like to be kept waiting." Standing, Tidus reached out his  
hand, careful to make sure it was his left one, and helped Yuna stand. He was somewhat reluctant  
to release her hand as they walked out, but did at the last second before Wakka saw them.  
  
Yuna, meanwhile, noticed the warmth slide out of her hand the second they were out of the tent.  
She looked to him, and he gave her a small smile before stopping Wakka to ask him something  
Yuna didn't catch, as she was too busy thinking.  
  
'What is he so afraid of? He treats me like...I'll disappear or something sometimes, then other times,  
it's as if I'm just a pebble in his shoe that he wants to get rid of.....' She thought, picking up her  
staff and following Lulu to the ship.  
  
  
  
An hour later, Tidus and Wakka went out onto the ship's front deck, carrying a blitzball.  
  
"Show me dat shot you did in the tournament, ya?" Wakka asked. It was still kind of early,  
and the rest of the Aurochs were still sleeping in their cabins. Plus, they were about two  
hours away from Besaid Island anyway, so the two decided to pass the time with a ball.  
  
"It's easy. Here, it goes like this..." Tidus began, explaining to Wakka the dynamics of the Sphere  
Shot carefully. After another hour had passed, the Besaidian blitzer had the shot mastered.  
  
"Booya!" He shouted as he executed a perfect shot, sending yet another blitzball out into  
the crystal water before them. Tidus laughed and smiled along with him, but he couldn't help  
looking at his right hand.  
  
With the glove on, it looked normal, but when he took it off, his hand was nothing but a pale outline  
of a hand and even paler skin filling that outline.  
  
"Hey, try not to let it bother ya." Wakka said, sitting down on the ship's edge, his legs dangling over the water.  
  
"How can I not? I'm going to leave her again, Wakka...." Tidus replied quietly, sinking to a sitting  
position beside Wakka as he spoke.  
  
"We won't let you! Man, you gotta stop thinkin so negative all the time, ya?" He said, placing a  
hand on Tidus' shoulder.  
  
"Again, how can I not?"  
  
"By having a distraction...." Wakka replied with a light smirk, watching Yuna approach.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tidus asked sullenly, seeing Wakka get up and leave out of the  
corner of his eye. He was going to go after him, but decided he was in to bad a mood  
to move anywhere. He then saw someone sit beside him again, and ignored them,  
thinking it was Wakka.  
  
"Did you hear me? I said what do you mean by distraction?" Tidus offered again after  
a minute of silence.  
  
"What do I mean by what?" Yuna asked, slightly confused.  
  
Tidus' head shot up, and he cursed Wakka inwardly for not warning him. Well.... in a  
way he did warn him.....  
  
"Nothing. I just thought you were Wakka."  
  
"Oh. I see.....Is something bothering you?"  
  
"It's nothing big....Don't worry about it...."  
  
"You know, you should smile, even when you're sad. Because, if you think about it,  
you're being selfish if you don't" Yuna said, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Okay, NOW what do you mean?"  
  
"Well, if you're sad then everyone else around you will get sad and worried when they can't  
cheer you up, so you're making everybody else sad when you are. Therefore, I've learned  
to smile, even when I'm sad. Sometimes I even laugh out loud if I'm up to it."  
  
A memory suddenly wormed it's way into Tidus' mind, unbidden. He closed his eyes tightly  
to make it go away, but it persisted until it was at the forefront of his mind.  
  
It was the time when they had travelled to Luca, and were preparing to leave for the Mi'ihen Highroad.  
He had just learned that his father was Sin, and he couldn't help but be depressed as he stood  
near a railing and looked out onto Luca. Yuna came up to him then, and instructed him to  
smile. He did, and she then stold him to laugh out loud, so he sucked in a deep breath and  
laughed loudly, but almost fakely. Yuna soon joined him, and when they rejoined the  
others, even Auron was giving them a weird look as Wakka explained how they thought  
the two of them had gone crazy....  
  
"......You're right Yuna. I'll try not to.....show it so much." Tidus replied after a moment of  
silence had passed between them. She smiled in return, the same genuine smile he'd  
first fallen in love with upon arriving in Spira.  
  
"Good. Look! There's the island!" She stated suddenly, standing to get a better look. It was still  
just a dot on the horizon though.  
  
"It'll still be half-an-hour before we get there anyway." Tidus said, standing slowly beside her.  
  
"Yes....that's true.....Can...you show me how to shoot a blitzball?" Came her sudden question.  
  
"Wha....? You wanna learn how to blitz?"  
  
"I already know how, I just...really suck at shooting." She replied with a light laugh. Her attempt   
at getting his mind off what was saddening him was working....  
  
  
  
As the ship approached the Besaid dock, Lulu and Wakka stepped out onto the deck to be met with  
an interesting sight.  
  
It appeared that Tidus had slipped and fallen, and in her haste to help him up as the ship turned sharply   
to anchor, she fell on top of him. At present they were just laying there, laughing, in no hurry to move  
at all.  
  
"You should be more careful!" Tidus laughed loudly, moving into a sitting position and helping Yuna  
to do the same. Once they were both standing, they looked at each other and burst out laughing  
again.  
  
"Kids..." Lulu muttered with a slight smirk on her violet-painted lips.  
  
"No kidding..." Wakka commented with a smile.  
  
Upon reaching the shores of Besaid, Tidus was the first off the boat. Yuna came after him, and she held out a hand  
for him to help her, since she was still a little disoriented from her fainting spell. Momentarily forgetting about his  
"situation" Tidus reached out his right hand. Yuna put her hand in his and was surprised when she felt nothing but air!  
  
She just about fell, but Tidus caught her, supporting her with his left arm.  
  
"Sorry about that. I wasn't watching and you.....you missed my hand." He explained quietly.  
  
"Oh, alright." Yuna replied, smiling warmly at him before slowly walking up the path to Besaid Village.  
  
After she went around the corner, Tidus' head dropped and he felt tears coming to his normally sparkling eyes.  
  
"It'll be alright, ya?" Wakka offered quietly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "We won't let you leave us again...."  
  
It was all Tidus could do to push the tears from his eyes and smile lightly at his friend. After all, he didn't  
want to drag Wakka down with his worries about him and his "disappearing act".  
  
"Hey...." He said suddenly, looking behind Wakka at the boat, "Where's Rikku? I haven't seen her since  
we left Macalania."  
  
"Hey you're right. Where is she? Lu?" Wakka said, turning to question the mage.  
  
"She's probably still asleep. I'll go get her." Ans with that, she turned and headed back into the  
cabin area.  
  
She emerged two minutes later, being trailed by a very tired looking Al Bhed girl. They met Tidus and  
Wakka on the shore, and the four of them walked towards the village they'd all come to call home.  
  
  
  
That night, Auron stood on the Farplane with Jecht and Braska, trying to figure out what to do.  
  
"I just don't understand it.....How could such a small cell of Sin have such a hold on Yuna?" Braska  
said quietly, his fingers tracing a small, non-existant bierd(sp?)on his chin as he spoke.  
  
"There has to be something that'll jog her memory....." Jecht muttered, racking his brain for a solution.  
  
"It has to be something big; an event that involved the two of them together that wouldn't be easily forgotten."  
Auron supplied, also trying to come up with a solution.  
  
"I've got it! But it isn't good..." Braska said suddenly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jecht asked, searching his friend's face for an answer.  
  
"When Tidus disappeared, like he's doing now, and Yuna tried to stop him from going to the Farplane,  
and she...went right through him....."  
  
".............You sayin we should re-create that?"  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Jecht. It's the only thing they haven't tried yet."  
  
"But," Auron began, always the voice of reason(otherwise known as the PARTY POOPER!), "if she dosen't remember,  
then he'll be sent to the Farplane. And he won't be able to come back this time."  
  
"Yes.....If she can't remember, he'll just disappear like he did the first time and be brought back here." Braska replied,  
looking slightly disappointed that there was no other way.  
  
"Well....who's gonna tell him?" Jecht asked after a minute. They were both silent, and Braska looked to Auron  
for an answer.  
  
"I think you should do it Jecht. You are his father after all."  
  
"But you're more of a father to him than I ever was. Besides he hates me..."  
  
"He dosen't hate you, he just dosen't understand why you were so cold to him." Braska offered, placing  
a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Well....alright I guess I'll do it." Jecht said, looking to Auron, "How do I go into his dreams?"  
  
"I'll show you......."  
  
  
  
Tidus was having the best dream he'd had in a while, yet he still tossed and turned in his bed. He was playing  
blitzball in Zanarkand again, with the Abes and everything. But this time it was perfect. He passed to the other  
forward on the team and looked out into the crowd, spotting Wakka, Lulu, Rikku, Auron, Kimahri, and Yuna  
immediatly. Yuna waved to him exuberantly, blowing him a kiss before he swam off to score another goal.  
  
Yes, that was perfection alright....  
  
"Hey Kid!"  
  
"Huh?" Tidus' dream suddenly faded away to nothing but a black void, and before him stood Jecht.  
  
"That's never gonna happen kid." He said, his apparition becoming completely clear.  
  
"What isn't?"  
  
"Your dream. Zanarkand doesn't exist remember? Good luck tryin to get back though."  
  
"Thanks for the support, DAD." Tidus replied sarcastically, turning away from him.  
  
".........I have something to tell you kid." Jecht said after a minute.  
  
"What?" Tidus said, trying no to act interested, turning back to face Jecht slowly.  
  
"Me, Auron and Braska have figured out the best way to get Yuna to remember you."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"BUT! There's always a but; If it doesn't work you'll be sent back to the Farplane....forever this time."  
  
".............Well what is the idea?" Tidus said after a minute, shifting his weight from foot to foot  
nervously.  
  
"We were thinking about the biggest moment that you two shared, besides Macalania 'cause you  
already tried that. So we came up with the time you....went to the Farplane." Jecht winced inwardly  
as he watched Tidus flinch as he spoke, closing his eyes for a moment before answering.  
  
"You think that that's the only way?"  
  
"The only way."  
  
"......Well, looks like we're getting back on a boat then huh?"  
  
"You're cool with this? You understand that you'll disppear forev-"  
  
"Yeah dad. I know....Thanks." Tidus cut him off, offering a small smile as Jecht's image began to  
fade. Jecht looked a little caught off guard, but Tidus saw a smile creep onto his face as well  
right before he faded completely. Tidus was left in the dark for only a minute, and his eyes  
were soon met with the sun-kissed walls of his tent in Besaid.  
  
'Of all the times to come see me, Dad....' He thought with a light scowl, getting out of bed slowly,  
scratching the back of his head just as Wakka entered.  
  
"Good mornin!--Whoa...what's wrong wit you? Lookin down, ya?" He asked worredly, stepping  
closer to Tidus.  
  
"It's nothing Wakka, don't worry.....But I think I may have come up with a way for Yuna to remember me."  
  
Wakka's eyebrow arched at his, and Tidus sat back down to explain the situation. When he was done,  
Wakka was looking as disappointed as Braska had.  
  
"That's....the only way, ya think?"  
  
"Yeah. That's what Braska and them figure."  
  
"..........Well, better start headin' for Guadosalam, eh?" Wakka replied after a minute, clasping a  
hand onto Tidus' shoulder before walking out to tell the others.  
  
*****************************************************************8  
Here it is! The long-awaited Chapter Five!!!!!  
  
Up Next:  
The group travels to Guadosalam, Lulu creating the lie that she and Wakka want to visit Chappu  
there, and that they want the others to come along. Once there, Tidus and Yuna's final scene  
unfolds a second time, but will it be enough to erase Sin from Yuna's mind forever?  
Find out next time......  
  
R+R IF YOU LOVE ME!!!(or at least if you like the story....)  
  
Ja ne,  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


	7. On The Way

Much Needed Closure  
Chapter Six - On The Way....  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
  
NOTE: When I said in the last chapter that the group will be traveling to Guadosalam, I meant  
to say that they wouldn't make it there, seeing as the final scene in the game took place  
on Cid's Airship. They will be taking the ship there, and the scene will unfold on the way.....  
*************************************************************************  
  
"Yo everyone!! Come 'ere a sec!" Wakka called, stepping out of Tidus' tent and plastering a smile onto  
his face, despite his dreary mood. Lulu, Rikku and Yuna walked over from their place by the morning  
fire, which was now being extinguished as the sun rose.  
  
"What's up?" Rikku asked cheerily, cocking her head to one side with a smile.  
  
"Eh...Lu and I have decided to go to Guadosalam." He announced after a slight pause. Lulu raised a  
questioning eyebrow at him, but he simply winked, egging her to play along. She just nodded when the  
other two women looked at her, allowing Wakka to elaborate, which he did.  
  
"We've decided that it's been....long enough since we last visited Chappu on the Farplane, so we're  
going back. You're all welcome to come, ya?" He explained, glancing behind him briefly as Tidus exited  
his tent, walking over to the group. Yuna subconsciously noted that he had skipped his usual cat-like  
stretch; the one she found very amusing every morning.  
  
"I'm game!" Rikku replied, anxious to go on her father's airship again, as that was the only transportation  
they could use to get there fast.  
  
"I...suppose I'll come along. I do want to visit my father." Yuna said after a minute, smiling at Wakka.  
They all looked to Tidus, who seemed to be staring absentmindedly at his right hand. Rikku frowned  
briefly at the sight, knowing what was distracting him: His time was obviously running out.  
  
"Tidus?" Yuna called gently, which he responded to almost instantly, snapping his gaze up to meet hers,  
then flick away to Wakka's.  
  
"Yeah sure. Wherever it is...I'll go!" He said, smiling brightly, deciding then and there to remain  
cheerful, remembering Kimahri's words from so long ago as they walked the Djose Highroad....  
  
~*~  
"Do not worry. You worry, Yuna worries; tries harder. You happy, Yuna happy. You not be happy,  
Yuna will try to be happy for you. Kimahri will try too."  
(AN: I'm not sure that this is exact, but you get the general idea!!)  
~*~  
  
"Great then! I'll go get in touch with Cid, ya?" Wakka said, smiling. He then started off towards the temple,  
heading for the communicator within.  
  
"Yunie c'mon!! We're going to miss the blitzball game!!" Rikku begged, tugging on her cousin's wrist.  
  
"There's a blitzball game going on down at the beach....the Aurochs are one player short...?" Yuna said,  
turning to Tidus with a slight pleading look in her eyes, as if she enjoyed watching him play.  
  
'Anything to make you happy, Yuna.' He wanted to say, but instead settled for, "Of course!!"  
  
Yuna smiled, a simple act that could bring Tidus to his very knees if he didn't keep his cool. He did,  
though, and followed the two girls down to the beach.  
  
Lulu, on the other hand, was curious about Wakka's modd, which she knew wasn't cheery as he had  
displayed to everyone else. She also knew it had something to do with Tidus.  
  
She found the flame-haired man inside the temple, hanging up from his call to Cid.  
  
"Wakka?" She called softly, coming to stand beside him.  
  
"Cid said he'll be here in four hours." He stated simply, ignoring the hidden- but clearly visible  
to him- question in her tone.  
  
"Wakka. What's wrong." She said it in a more demanding tone than she had intended, and immediately  
wished the words back into her mouth as Wakka's smiled faded and his head dropped to his chest.  
  
"Tidus...he....He's gotta plan but....if it dosen't work....." Wakka said quietly, telling Lulu have of the story  
in that statement alone. The mage offered her support, placing her hand lightly on his shoulder. He covered  
the pale object with his own large, tanned hand, as if drawing the support from her very hand. Taking  
a deep breath- and never letting go of her hand- he slowly spilled out the details.  
  
"But...." Lulu started as he finished, "if it does work, he'll get to stay here with us and be happy."  
  
"But what if it doesn't work, ya?" Wakka countered, closing his eyes as the possibilities passed  
through his conscious mind, "We've already lost him once, ya know?"  
  
"And we won't again. Now come, they're playing blitzball by the beach." Lulu replied, wanting to  
end the conversation and convince Wakka that Tidus was here to stay. Well she did end the  
conversation, but Wakka's mind was still plagued with doubt.  
  
Upon reaching the end of the long, winding forest trail, the sight that greeted them was enough to   
make even Wakka smile.  
  
Trying to create a spherical boundary for their game, Tidus was trying to make the marker stay  
afloat, as he was told that it was a heavy, but hollow weight the Aurochs often used. It was,  
in fact, nothing more than a painted rock. Rikku's face was aldready as red as it could get, as she  
tried to hold in her laughter at the sight, doing everything but roll around on the ground.  
  
Wakka and Lulu approached the hysterical Rikku, and the softly giggling Yuna, concealing laughter  
of their own.  
  
"How long...?" Wakka whispered.  
  
"Ten minutes by now...." Yuna replied, almost bursting out laughing as Tidus got fed up and thrust  
the rock into the water....and directly onto his toe.  
  
"OWWWWWWW!!!!!" Came the strangled cry from the water, turning everyone's heads and causing  
Rikku to finally burst. Her laughter came forth loud and clear, like a wave that had been dammed up.  
  
"THAT HURT, DAMNIT!!!!" Tidus shouted again, simply falling back into the water to float, seeing as  
hopping wasn't working out too well. Back on the shore, Yuna subsided her giggling and began to  
concentrate. Wakka was about to shake her and ask what she was doing, but when Lulu directed  
his vision to where Tidus was now floating, his question disappeared.  
  
Yuna, using her Holy magic, was levitating Tidus out of the water, still laying on his back. He   
hadn't noticed yet, but they were sure he would soon. The blonde blitzer then opened his eyes,   
widening them a second later as he took in his surroundings.  
  
"What the....?" He whispered, looking around and seeing Yuna staring at him with a smile, her  
fingers moving very slightly under her sleeve. He smiled back and allowed her to float him back to  
where he'd dropped the rock. She set him down gently, creating a seat of water to cushion   
his fall as she switched from one spell to the other. The Holy magic disapated, and Tidus could no   
longer feel light-headed, as he had before. The young summoner was now concentrating fully on her  
Waterga spell, using it to create a swirling throne of water that Tidus perched happily on while the  
village dwellers watched in delight at the display.  
  
After a few minutes, Yuna let the spell slip from her mind, the seat slowly spiraling down until  
Tidus rested with his sneakers on the sandy bottom again. He then noticed that the rock was floating  
steadily in place, and showed no sign of moving. It was Lulu who smiled at him this time, as she was  
also testing out her newly aquired white magic spells as well as letting the game begin.  
  
Jassu finally entered the water, carrying the blitzball. He gave the ball to a small boy, who was the  
unoffical referee for the game. The other players got into position, and with a nod from the two  
mid-fielders, he tossed the ball into the air.  
  
"HOLD IT!!" Came the cry from the beach. Tidus, who had grabbed the ball right away, stopped,  
dropping unceremoniously into the water. The call had come from Rikku who was now whispering  
excitedly to Lulu and Yuna. After a minute, the two smiled and nodded, walking to seperate ends of   
the circular cove. Once there, they gave a signal to each other and began a strange...dance with  
their hands.  
  
The blitzers were left in shock as the water around them began to swirl and churn into a sphere,  
perfectly round and looking quite stable. Tidus grinned widely at Yuna before jumping into  
the pool, the others following him. Enhanced with magic, the pool was exactly like that of a  
stadium, but- in Tidus' opinion anyway- much, much better.  
  
The ball was thrown again, and the game offically began.  
  
  
  
Several hours later saw the end -a tie- of the game, all the players involved exhausted, but very  
happy to have been able to play in a sphere pool. Everyone was relaxing on the beach, enjoying  
the feel of the sun on them, despite the stagnant, breeze-less heat that accompanied it.  
  
Everyone suddenly felt a gust of wind coming from the shoreline, and looked to the sky,  
where the sight of a giant, looming shape met their eyes. Rikku smiled brightly and waved  
up at the huge object as it became recognizable as her father's airship.  
  
'It's here already?' Tidus thought, the ship having disturbed his conversation with Yuna. Sure,  
the subject had only been about the annoyance of those little rodent creatures with the long tails  
that ran around in Djose, but it was still conversation.  
  
"Well...let's go then." Yuna said, watching the ship land on the shoreline and lower it's entrance  
ramp, allowing Rikku to run forward and embrace her father. The man's expression turned from  
happiness to sheer surprise as he took in the sight of Tidus, but Wakka rushed forward, telling him  
to keep his cool and act as if he'd never known him in front of Yuna.  
  
"I'll explain the whole thing later okay?" The Besadian blitzer whispered, receiving a nod as a reply.  
  
"Vydran!" Rikku cried in Al Bhed, racing into her father's arms for a hug,"Ed ec cu kuut du caa oui ykyeh!"  
(Father!) (It is so good to see you again!)  
  
Cid returned the gesture, replying to his daughter in their tongue.  
  
"E ryja seccat oui, Rikku. Ruf yna oui?"  
(I have missed you, Rikku. How are you?)  
  
Rikku was about to answer in Al Bhed once again, but noticed the confused stares of all her friends....  
....except Tidus.  
  
"You don't look confused at all, ya?" Wakka whispered as the others moved to greet Cid.  
  
" E lusbmadamo ihtancdyht dras." Tidus replied, causing Wakka to blink rapidly in frustration.  
  
"What?!?!?" He finally cried, waving his hands around over his head for emphasis.  
  
"I said," Tidus chuckled," 'I completely understand them.' "  
  
"How do you DO that?!?"  
  
"I remembered it. Yuna and I used the Primers and learned together one night on the airship...." The blonde's  
voice once again grew saddened as he recalled yet another memory Yuna didn't share with him. Wakka  
noticed the change in mood and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.  
  
"Everyting will be alright, okay? You gotta believe that, ya?"  
  
Tidus nodded, and looked up as Yuna whistled for him. She was waving her hand in the direction of the  
airship, motioning for the two blitzers to board. He and Wakka both nodded and headed for the ship with  
everyone else.  
  
  
  
"Do you think the story will hold until we get there?" Lulu asked, placing a pale hand on the window pane.  
  
Putting an arm around her shoulders, Wakka quietly answered.  
  
"It's not the story that you're worried about, ya?"  
  
"You're right," The mage replied, lowering her head, ".......What if...she doesn't remember, even when we get there?"  
  
"She told you she loved him, right? Plus we all heard it for ourselves last time."  
  
"Aaaaaand....."Came a voice from their left. The source was Rikku.  
  
"Their so called "last scene" didn't happen in Guadosalam anyway, right?"  
  
Lulu was about to counter her statement, when she started thinking. Wakka must have done the  
same thing, because when they both looked at each other, the answer donned on them.  
  
"It happened here...." Lulu whispered.  
  
"On the airship deck!" Wakka finished.  
  
"Exactly!" Rikku said cheerfully, "Now all we need to do, is get everyone out onto the airship deck and  
let fate decide what happens."  
  
**********************************************  
I know that this chapter is short, and I know that it has been a LONG, LONG time since I've posted, but there  
is an explanation for both things!!!!  
  
One:  
This chapter is short because the next one will be the FINAL chapter! Plus I have to watch the ending of the game  
again so I can get the quotes right, so expect a short delay.  
  
Two:  
I haven't been posting because FF.Net would not let me log in!!!! GRRRRR!!!!!!!!! That made me so angry I was  
considering breaking my computer!!! But thankfully I didn't, and here I am!! Hope you like!!  
  
Peace out,  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


	8. Airship Memories & Bonfires

Much Needed Closure  
Chapter Seven - Airship Memories & Bonfires  
By: Digi-Esca Girl  
Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to FFX. I'm assuming that's enough for you.....?  
*******************************************************  
  
"Tidus!!"  
  
The blonde looked up at the sound of his name, straightening his posture from the slump  
it had been against the full-length window.  
  
"Wakka....?"  
  
"You can try and get Yuna to remember right now, ya? It happened here, on the airship!!"  
Wakka said cheerfully, waiting for the grin he was sure would come from his friend. It  
never came, however, replaced with a deeper look of sadness.  
  
"I know....."  
  
"So what's the problem?!"  
  
"She won't remember, Wakka. I just know it..."  
  
"Now that is NO kind of attitude to have right now. Yuna loves you! She told you herself, or do  
you not remem-"  
  
"Of course I remember!! Do you honestly think that I could concentrate on anything but those words  
over the last year?! You think I don't curse myself every time I think back...and know that I could  
have said something....that I could've......told her.........." Tidus' voice trailed off from an angry  
yell to that of a defeated, quiet whisper as he closed his eyes and hung his head.  
  
"Everything will work out, ya? You gotta believe that, man." Wakka said, embracing his friend  
as he gathered his rampant emotions.  
  
"It's hard to, sometimes...." Tidus replied after a moment, gently pulling away from his friend's  
embrace.  
  
"I know. Uh...anyways...do you think you'll be up to,uh...re-enacting today?" Wakka asked after  
several seconds had passed, scratching the back of his head. He hoped his weak attempt at  
humor was enough to at least put the mischievious spark back in Tidus' eyes.  
  
".....Probably. I just have to think back a little. I have to try and get as close to what I actually  
said as possible to make it easier for Yuna's memories to fight Sin and take over again." The   
blonde explained, looking to Wakka to make sure he understood that he needed some time alone.  
  
"I understand, man. You know where I am, so come get me when you're ready. Just uh...don't  
take too much time, ya? I think Cid modified the engine speeds again...." Wakka said with a  
chuckle, before walking back towards the living quarters.  
  
Tidus sighed, wishing he knew what to do. This was his last chance. Re-enacting the scene again  
would trigger the Farplane's call, and he would be sent back. That is, if Yuna didn't remember.  
  
'Which she won't....' The blonde youth thought sadly.  
  
'Now that is no way to think, young man.' Came a reprimanding voice from inside his mind.   
  
An image suddenly started to shimmer in front of his very eyes, and began to twist and contort, forming some kind  
of shape that resembled a human woman. The image became more focused, and the woman's features became  
clearer and clearer as the seconds passed. Tidus looked her up and down once she had become clear,  
and he noticed mostly her facial features.   
  
She had elbow-length, tawny brown hair, and a dazzling smile that made her look years younger. What he noticed   
the most out of everything, however, was that her eyes were each different colors, one shining sapphire, and the other   
a shimmering viridian.  
  
"You're....."  
  
"Yuna's mother, Aldrin. You look like you need some help." She answered, smiling warmly.  
  
"But aren't you.....?"  
  
"Dead? Yes. You never met me because the part of the Farplane I went to is one where only those with the purest  
of hearts can go. My husband will join me soon, but he has to work on it a little more before they let him in."  
She replied again, sitting down beside him on the bed.  
  
"How can you be here in front of me then? Auron and my father can't do that...." Tidus asked, his brain working  
overtime to try and figure out how she'd done it.  
  
"I've had a lot more time to strengthen my magic than them as well, Tidus. But, to the point. You need some  
help, and it pertains to my daughter, I believe." Aldrin said, smiling encouragingly.  
  
Tidus took a deep breath and told her the entire story, starting with details of Yuna's pilgramage she had  
not witnessed. As he finished, he was even more frustrated, having reminded himself exactly how bad his  
current situation was.  
  
"You shouldn't be worried."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"You know, for someone who claims to love my daughter so much, you sure don't have very much faith  
in her to remember the greatest times of her life." Aldrin replied, giving Tidus a motherly look he hadn't  
received since he was six years old.  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts, young man. Now, I want you to go out there, talk to my daughter, and get her to remember you.  
If you ask me, though, it really won't take that much convincing for her to just fall back into your arms,  
crying happy tears because she's so over-joyed that she rememberes everything."  
  
"I sure hope you're right, Aldrin."  
  
"I am right, Tidus. Now go."  
  
"Thank you. I would hug you but...." His eyes wandered briefly over her semi-transparant form, "you know."  
  
She nodded, smiling at him one last time before fading away in a shimmering cloud of mist. She left no trace  
that she'd been there, except for the sudden confidance that dwelled in Tidus' heart. He sucked in a deep  
breath, and walked out of his room, heading straight for Lulu's.  
  
He opened the door, not surprised to find Rikku, Wakka, Kimahri (who'd arrived via teleport while he had  
been talking to Aldrin) and of course Lulu inside.  
  
"I'm ready," He said simply. They all nodded, rising from their seated positions and filing out the door.  
  
"Nice to see you, Tidus." Kimahri grunted as nicely as his vocal chords would allow, resting his large paw  
on the blonde man's shoulder.  
  
"Good to see you too, Kimahri. Well, let's get going, shall we?" Tidus replied with a smile, gesturing towards  
the open door with his hand, waiting for Kimahri to walk through it. He did, and the blitzer followed suit.  
  
'I can't believe this......this is it.....' Tidus thought, licking his lips nervously as the group headed down  
the corridor towards the deck.  
  
"I'll go get Yuna, alright?" Lulu said as they passed the living quarters. Wakka nodded, seeing as Tidus  
wasn't paying attention, and smiled slightly at her before she turned and walked off.  
  
As they walked, Tidus looked down at his right hand. It appeared normal enough, but when he removed  
the glove he could see that it was almost transparent as it had been at Macalania. He sucked in a deep  
breath and pulled off his left-hand glove. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as he discovered that his left  
hand was just as bad as his right one.  
  
"Everything will be fine," Came a deep barotone from behind him. Tidus turned his head and smiled  
weakly back at the Ronso, who tried his best to smile properly back.  
  
  
  
  
"Yuna?"  
  
The summoner looked up from the novel she was reading to smile at her best friend.  
  
"Can you come out to the deck for a moment? There's something I want you to see." Lulu asked, averting her  
eyes from Yuna's warm gaze.  
  
"Alright. I'll be right there," She answered, rising from her seat and searching for a bookmark as Lulu nodded  
and left the room. She sighed deeply and leaned against the wall.  
  
'Yevon....Or whoever's in charge now,' She silently prayed, 'Please help these two....please.....'  
  
  
  
  
  
"Everybody ready?" Rikku asked, stepping out onto the deck.  
  
They were all in position, standing near the door like they had almost exactly one year ago. Lulu had just joined  
them, signaling that Yuna was close behind. Tidus stood ahead of them, watching the door, waiting for her lithe frame  
to appear in it.  
  
Suddenly, footfall was heard, and several deep breaths were sucked in by the "cast". The mechanical door swished  
open, and Yuna's smile faded slightly when she saw everyone standing around looking sad.  
  
"What's wrong everyone? Is something the matter?" She asked, stepping out onto the deck to stand in front  
of her friends.  
  
'Show time,' Tidus thought, looking down at his hands.  
  
They shimmered and went transparent, this time including his entire body in the colorful display. It was happening  
all over again.....  
  
Yuna turned and watched the young man's body grow translucent for a moment, and suddenly a word sprang  
from her mouth before he mind had even formed it.  
  
"No."  
  
Tidus shut his eyes as the memories came rushing back, and he groped quickly for his exact words from that day.  
  
"Yuna, I have to go....." He paused, watching as her eyes glazed over and she appeared to be remembering.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand........Goodbye." He said, walking towards the center of the deck.  
  
"Hey!" Wakka called, almost missing his cue.  
  
"We're gonna see you again.....?" Rikku said after Wakka, glancing at Yuna to find that tears were tracing  
their way down her cheeks, just like they had a year ago.  
  
Tidus turned and continued walking, but turned back around the instant he heard Kimahri's cry.  
  
"Yuna!" Called the ronso's powerful voice.  
  
"Tidus no! Not again!" The young woman called out, rushing forward and leaping into his arms...............  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
....................but she fell right through him again, crashing to the floor as more crystal rivers ran down her face.  
  
"No...." Rikku whispered, unable to believe their efforts hadn't paid off.  
  
Yuna lay there on the ground, watching as a pyrefly floated past her face. Tidus simple hung his head, accepting  
the fact that he'd been given another chance, but had blown it. Just like he had the first time.....  
  
He then became even more transparent, floating upwards, unable to control himself.  
  
"Tidus!" Wakka called, running forward a few steps only to be held back by Kimahri.  
  
"We tried," He stated simply, and felt the Besaidian go limp with defeat against his arm.  
  
Yuna stood and watched as Tidus slowly disappeared into the sky, once again leaving her all alone.  
  
"I love you, Yuna......." Came a whisper, seemingly from the wind.  
  
Everyone rushed forward to comfort her, but she held up her hand to stop them.  
  
"Please....go on inside. I need to be alone for a moment...." She whispered almost inaudibly, hanging her head.  
  
Kimahri and Wakka nodded, leading Rikku and Lulu back inside the airship. Once the doors closed, Yuna fell  
to her knees, unable to control her sobs any longer.  
  
'Why did you have to leave me again...?' She thought sorrowfully, burying her face in her hands.  
  
"I didn't."  
  
Yuna's eyes snapped open and her head shot up at the familiar voice behind her. She slowly rose to her feet,  
turning around to face the source of the voice she's heard. What she saw she dared not to believe.  
  
There was Tidus, completely un-transluscent, holding his Brotherhood sword in his right hand.  
  
"But....you.....?" She tried to ask, taking a few cautious steps towards him.  
  
"I forgot my sword," He stated simply, holding up the object with a sheepish smile, "Sorry if I scared ya."  
  
Yuna half laughed, half sobbed as she flung herself into his arms, this time being encircled by warmth instead  
of meeting with the cool, steel floor. She pounded a few punches into his chest, and smirked at his questioning look.  
  
"For scaring me half-to-death," She justified, standing on her tiptoes to meet his lips in a kiss that was WAY overdue.  
  
  
  
  
******************************  
Six months later......  
******************************  
  
"Happy birthday Yuna!" Came a memorized cheer as the birthday girl's eyes widened.  
  
"Surprise...." Whispered Tidus, leaning in to kiss her cheek as he wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"You guys....." The shocked summoner said, "I don't know...what to say....except thank you so much!"  
  
"We've been planning it for weeks!" Said Rikku, bouncing up to her and leading her over to a small table piled  
with presents.  
  
"Do you know how hard it is to surprise a girl like you, ya?" Wakka said with a smile, his arm wrapped around  
Lulu's waist. The mage smiled in agreement, wrapping her free arm around her best friend in a hug. Her  
wedding ring glinted in the evening sunlight.  
  
  
  
So the cake was cut and the presents unwrapped, and now all was winding down. The rising moon saw a  
bonfire, with friends crowded around it talking of old times and good memories. It also saw two young  
lovebirds, sneaking away from the group to a secluded cove by the beach lit only by moonlight. They were  
laughing and walking hand-in-hand, wanting to be no other place in the world but where they were.  
  
"So," Tidus asked, leaning over to kiss Yuna lightly, "How was your birthday?"  
  
"The best I've ever had," She replied, reaching over to hold his hand. He smiled and sat down on the sand  
in front of her, looking her straight in the eyes.  
  
"Yuna, you know how much I love you, right?" Tidus began, sucking in a deep breath. Yuna nodded in reply,  
so he continued, "And I've told you many times that I want to be with you forever, remember?"  
  
"Of course I do," She replied with a smile.  
  
"I lost you once, and I almost lost you again not too long ago. I promise I'll never leave you again. Never."  
  
Yuna's breath caught in her throat as he reached into his pocket for something, then withdrew his hand a few  
seconds later holding something she never thought she'd see from him.  
  
It was a ring. But not just any ring. The band was clear glass, and opalscent colors swirled and danced inside,  
entrancing Yuna for a moment before her eyes moved on to the gems resting at the top. There were two,  
tiny, circular-cut opals standing as 'guards' on either side of an oval-shaped diamond, set right into the band.  
  
"What's inside it....?" Yuna whispered, still staring at the swirling colors.  
  
"I went to the Moonflow a couple weeks ago and bought a special container that could hold a pyrefly. I spent  
all night trying to catch one, but I finally did, and the jeweler sealed it inside the band. It'll live forever, and it  
sparkles and shines brighter the happier you are, "Tidus explained, "If you decide to wear it, that is...."  
  
"Are you kidding? Tidus, of course I'll wear it!" Yuna answered happily, watching as he slipped the ring on her finger.  
  
"It's shining brighter already," Tidus noticed delightedly.  
  
"I'll never take it off...." Yuna vowed, leaning in for the first of millions of kisses they would share as husband and wife.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I knew it! I knew it!" Jecht cheered, watching his son give Yuna his ring.  
  
"He's finally happy," Auron said, looking down at the two with a small smile on his face.  
  
"Good job, darling," Braska praised, kissing the top of his wife's head.  
  
"Well, he needed some sense knocked into him," Aldrin joked, "He's perfect for Yuna....Yevon himself couldn't have  
chosen someone better suited for her, don't you think?"  
  
"I knew it would work out! I'm just tooooo smart for you guys...." Jecht said, crossing his arms behind his head and  
leaning back into his seat.  
  
"You were the one who was freaking out because you said it would NEVER work!" Auron argued.  
  
"He has a point, Jecht. You were the most skeptical one of all of us," Braska agreed.  
  
".......Fine. Shoot me down then....." Jecht muttered, but unable to contain his chuckle nonetheless.  
  
  
His son was finally happy, and all was right again, as it should be......  
  
  
***************************************************************  
  
Well, there you have it folks! I'd like to, first of all, apologize for the long wait for this chappy!  
  
Secondly, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, because you guys kept me going. I'd also like to thank  
all those people who e-mailed me with their support, and a special thanks goes out to BlitzBladeX for providing  
me with the final scene from FFX cause I was too lazy to go and find it myself! lol.....  
  
Anywayz, thanks for sticking with me and I hope you all enjoyed the story!   
  
Until next time,  
Digi-Esca Girl  
  
laurie_22@hotmail.com 


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